Manchester United don’t have plans of triggering the 12-month extension clause in David de Gea’s contract, according to reputed journalist Florian Plettenberg.
The Spain international has been United’s regular in goal for the past decade, but there is uncertainty over his future at the club beyond the ongoing campaign.
He is currently the club’s highest earner at £375,000-a-week and it is now claimed that he could leave on a free transfer when his contract expires in June 2023.
Erik ten Hag is reportedly eyeing a new goalkeeper. As a result, United are not considering the 12-month option in the contract of De Gea, who prefers to stay.
David de Gea could be replaced next summer
De Gea started the season with a couple of high-profile errors, but he has since been flawless between the sticks for the club with a number of outstanding saves in all competitions.
Despite this, Ten Hag may want an upgrade in the position. While the Spaniard has been superb with his reflexes in goal, he is not a modern shot-stopper with strong distribution skills.
The 32-year-old has registered only 18 passes per league game this term. In comparison, Yann Sommer, who is a target for United, has averaged 45 accurate passes for Borussia Monchengladbach.
This could be a key reason for the club to part ways with him next summer. His wages are also on the expensive side compared to Sommer, who currently earns just £36,000-a-week.
De Gea has shown an improvement in his overall distribution and mobility this term compared to previous seasons, but this may not be sufficient enough to convince Ten Hag to keep him.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com, Capology.com and SofaScore.com
