Have the Red Devils and David De Gea hit the end of the road? It seems so. Even though (earlier this month) the framework for a new contract aimed at reducing De Gea’s 434,000-euros-a-week wage had been agreed between the player and the club, Erik Ten Hag’s reservations over keeping his No 1 had put the deal in jeopardy.Manchester United made a U-turn over a new contract for the Spanish goalkeeper and it is most likely the Spaniard will leave Old Trafford after 12 years.The 32-year-old’s future at the Theater of Dreams now looks more uncertain than ever with just three days to go before he becomes a free agent. United could still re-sign De Gea after that date, but it seems unlikely in the circumstances.##NAJAVA_MECA_7343844##Reports emerged on Tuesday claiming that De Gea had signed the new contract before United backed out and then tabled an even lower offer. Hence the high probability that De Gea will leave Manchester and look for a new club amid lucrative offers from the Saudi Pro League.Ten Hag has reservations after a season in which De Gea was criticised for a number of high-profile errors and his proficiency with the ball at his feet, even though he still won the Premier League’s Golden Glove award. It came to a head in the FA Cup Final last month when De Gea was faulted for Ilkay Gundogan’s crucial second goal in Manchester City’s 2-1 win over their neighbours, and once again came under fire for his poor distribution from the back.The likes of Porto stopper Diogo Costa, Brentford’s David Raya and Anderlecht’s highly-rated youngster Bart Verbruggen have been assessed by United, who have also spoken to potential No 2s in case De Gea does remain at the club.🚨 David De Gea and Manchester United had an agreement to extend his contract with a drastically reduced salary – the player had even already announced the news to his teammates. 🤝He had SIGNED… But the club didn’t sign off. 🧐Unfortunately for De Gea, United came back to… pic.twitter.com/Xsoc8KNnhH— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) June 28, 2023 However, the most talked-about option United have held exploratory talks over a deal for is Inter Milan’s Andre Onana. Club figures met with Onana’s agent, Albert Botines, last week for discussions over a potential move, though the final decision hinges on the future of De Gea.Onana, who started for Inter during their Champions League final defeat by Manchester City in Istanbul, played for Ten Hag during his spell with Ajax. Initial talks of a 58 million euros bid for the Cameroonian is said to be premature.United need to sell players to finance new signings this summer and ideally they would prefer to secure De Gea on a new deal rather than have to buy a replacement.
