David de Gea’s Man United contract extension will happen – but pay cut must suit

David de Gea has turned down Manchester United’s first offer of a new contract, but at this stage negotiations are expected to reach a positive conclusion.

Rarely is an opening proposal accepted by a player and United’s discussions with the goalkeeper are progressing. The situation is described as a negotiation to narrow the difference between the numbers.

De Gea’s salary of £375,000 ($463,000) per week was agreed upon in September 2019, when he had entered the final year of his previous contract and Alexis Sanchez’s arrival in January 2018 had provided a gauge for United’s top earners on a wage worth more than £400,000 per week. As United’s only potential No 1 at the time, he had the leverage in talks with chief executive Ed Woodward.

De Gea has been the world’s highest-paid goalkeeper since and recognises that now, aged 32, he must take a reduction to stay, as first reported by The Athletic in October.

United have — according to sources speaking on condition of anonymity to protect their positions — made a good proposal, but nonetheless, it is unsatisfactory to De Gea at present. He wants to continue at Old Trafford but feels that his performances this season still rank him as one of Erik ten Hag’s most important players and remuneration should follow accordingly.

Ten Hag, meanwhile, has given his blessing for De Gea to continue at United.

Last summer, United’s manager provoked a major search for goalkeepers after losing Dean Henderson on loan to Nottingham Forest before he’d even taken a training session. Ten Hag was ideally looking for a goalkeeper who could challenge De Gea, but United signed Martin Dubravka on loan and that competition for the position never really happened. Ten Hag saw Tom Heaton firmly as a backup, although the 36-year-old kept clean sheets in his two League Cup ties this year. The former England goalkeeper Jack Butland was signed on loan in January but has yet to feature.

De Gea had a shaky start under Ten Hag, culpable in United’s 4-0 defeat at Brentford. His poor passing out from the back allowed Thomas Frank’s side to seize the initiative. Ten Hag’s goalkeeper must be one who is comfortable and confident with the ball at his feet.

During this season though, Ten Hag has come to appreciate De Gea’s worth and is happy for him to be his goalkeeper for future years. Ten Hag, a pragmatic manager as much as an idealist, has adapted his instructions to better suit De Gea, who can pick out team-mates in midfield — if given time on the ball.

It was De Gea’s long goal kick at Wembley towards Wout Weghorst that eventually led to Marcus Rashford’s goal. United tried the same method away to Liverpool the following Sunday, with Lisandro Martinez twice tapping the ball to De Gea to find Weghorst in the centre of the pitch as Rashford ran in behind, but it did not come off.

In the Europa League tie against Real Betis four days later, De Gea’s kicking was woefully inadequate….