Should Man Utd be offering De Gea a new contract?

While Manchester United have appeared to be in a constant state of flux in recent times, with an annual rebuilding project seemingly undertaken at Old Trafford, there has been one constant for over a decade now.

That pillar of hope has been David de Gea, a man that has been doing his best to help bridge one glittering era from the past to a supposedly brighter one in the present and future. The Spanish goalkeeper has been on the Red Devils’ books since 2011 when his obvious potential was prised away from Atletico Madrid.

Memories

David De Gea has been named Manchester United's Players' Player of the Year 🙌 pic.twitter.com/r1KOnJFEtF

— GOAL (@goal) June 3, 2022

He is the longest-serving player on the club’s books by quite some distance and the only man capable of conjuring up memories of what it feels like to win the Premier League title – having formed part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s final triumph in that department back in 2012-13.

United have fallen a long way in a short space of time since then, with today’s football betting pricing them at 66/1 to capture a domestic crown this season and 8/5 for a top-four finish. There was a time not all that long ago when ticking both of those boxes was expected, rather than longed for.

De Gea knows what is required to land the most prestigious of prizes – having also collected League Cup, Europa League and FA Cup winners’ medals – but has he become another that is in danger of being cast aside? He may have taken in 500 appearances for the Red Devils, but how many more are there to come?

As things stand, a four-time Player of the Year at the Theatre of Dreams is approaching the final few months of a long-term contract. There is a 12-month option within those terms, which could be triggered at any point, but no extension offer is on the table.

De Gea has said of his ongoing presence in Manchester: “Of course I would like to be here for more years, so let’s see what happens in the future. I’m really, really happy here.” He was never likely to say anything else once having cameras pointed at him and a microphone thrust in his face.

His desire to stay put is, however, understandable as opportunities to take on a new challenge elsewhere are not as plentiful as they once were. Having put himself in a ‘best goalkeeper on the planet’ debate at one stage, others have now edged ahead of him on that particular pecking order.

Question

Welcome back, David! 👏⛔️#MUFC || @D_DeGea pic.twitter.com/qW6NKu2Bx4

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) June 28, 2022

That begs the question as to whether United feel as though they could find better – either in-house or when investing more money in an upcoming transfer window. It would be a bold call to move on from De Gea as, with goalkeepers often reaching their peak much later than outfield players, he appears to still have plenty left in the tank.
A spot between the sticks is, however, the only department that the Red Devils have not refreshed since bidding farewell to a legendary coach almost 10 years ago, so a big decision needs to be made on whether to stick or twist when it comes to the first name on the team sheet.