A senior Man Utd player is leaning toward leaving at the end of the current campaign after giving an evasive reaction to the contract dispute, and a third insider has said Erik ten Hag is setting up a replacement from Spain.
Between the sticks has been the only Man Utd consistency over the past ten years. Although his future at Old Trafford is really in doubt, David de Gea has generally been a standout performer for the Red Devils.
When the current season ends, the 32-year-old's contract expires. Although the club would much rather tie De Gea down to a longer-term agreement than take the short-term route, there is still a one-year option that United may exercise.
De Gea may be a good fit for a Ten Hag club, but there have always been nagging questions.
at fact, the Dutchman prefers a possession-based style of play that calls for his goalie to be at ease on the ball and start at a high position. With the gloves on, De Gea is imposing; nevertheless, with his feet, he is less so.
De Gea also makes the most money for United, taking home almost £375,000 each week. A so-called "Ronaldo rule" that United has introduced aims to prevent players from making more than £200,000 per week. By eliminating such a wide pay gap in the locker room, the goal is to promote more team cohesion.
In March, United and De Gea's team held negotiations. De Gea reportedly turned down United's initial offer, according to The Athletic. The significant wage cut De Gea was anticipated to take was the cause, according to the Mirror.
De Gea, according to The Mirror, has conceded that he will have to take a pay cut, but he still wants to be paid "an amount that reflects his value." Undoubtedly, United haven't yet even come close to reaching the amount he has in mind.
When asked about his future during a press conference before United's Europa League match against Sevilla, De Gea gave a cautious reaction.
“It is time just to be focused as we play many games in a row,” said De Gea (via the Mirror). “It is not time to lose focus and think about contracts."
“My aim is to keep going and play my best.”
On the subject of criticism of his game, De Gea came out fighting.
“When we keep a clean sheet, it means the team and I did a good job,” added the stopper. “But criticism is always there, you cannot please everyone."
“I have 20 clean sheets, close to the most in Europe, so we are doing a great job and I help the team do it.”
If United and their longest-tenured player are unable to come to terms, there is growing speculation that a LaLiga-based goalkeeper may be used. Giorgi Mamardashvili of Valencia is the one, and a third source has confirmed that United are interested in him.
Despite Valencia's terrible season at the Mestalla, the 6ft 5in tall, 22-year-old player has been their best performer. The heavyweight Spanish player is is ranked 18th in LaLiga. Their situation would be significantly worse if they did not have their Georgian superstar. Come the summer, they could have little choice but to accept that scenario.
COPE, Fabrizio Romano and more lately 90min have reported United’s interest in the player. Mamardashvili was also thought ‘keen’ to explore a fresh challenge and can be signed for roughly £30m.
Manchester United issued Ansu Fati's advice
Things are looking up for the red half of Manchester as the Glazers finally look to hand over control of the club to one of two potential bidders.
To properly launch the Erik ten Hag transformation at Old Trafford after their acquisition, United will be searching for additions in the summer.
In recent months, a number of names have been connected to the team, including wonderkid Ansu Fati of Barcelona.
The astonishingly gifted youngster made his debut in 2019, becoming the Blaugrana's youngest player in more than 80 years.
At the juvenile age of just 17 years and 311 days, he would go on to score his first goal for Spain in an international match against Ukraine, becoming their youngest-ever goalscorer and nonchalantly shattering another record that had lasted for nearly 95 years.
After the Argentine's sad departure from Nou Camp, Fati was supposed to take over wearing the renowned number 10 shirt from Lionel Messi, but recent injury issues have slowed down his progress.
Only ten of his 25 La Liga appearances for Barcelona this season have been starts.
In a recent angry tirade directed at the club and the administration, Fati's father, who also works as his agent, urged the young player to leave Nou Camp, and it appears that he may get his wish sooner than he anticipated.
According to the Spanish publication Sport, Fati's time at Barcelona may be coming to an end soon because the 20-year-old is expected to be traded for a high price in the summer. As stated by the source, Barca is willing to lose Fati in favor of keeping Ferran Torres and Raphinha on staff.
The La Masia graduate, who was once heralded as the Blaugrana's next superstar, is now at a crossroads with the club he joined when he was just 10 years old.
Although the media may have already written off his abilities, the quality he shown in his teens has not diminished as much as they would have you believe. Ansu Fati has 7 goals and 3 assists for the Blaugrana this season despite having played just over 1,400 minutes across all competitions.
At only 20, he still has a high ceiling if his full potential can be realized. He is still a very strong attacking option who can play in numerous places.
As a left inside-forward by trade, Fati is similar to Manchester United sensation Marcus Rashford in that he is an outstanding dribbler with incredibly fast footwork. He frequently drifts inside, assuming his full back and plays one-twos inside the box, perfectly suiting Erik ten Hag's ideal profile for an attacking player.
Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Antony are presently available for the Red Devils as alternatives on either side of their attack, with youthful talent like Alejandro Garnacho and Facundo Pellistri providing support.
There is a case to be made for Pellistri to go on loan since he needs more playing time to find his footing at the top level. In that scenario, there is also a case to be made for signing Fati as a more than capable substitute for the Uruguayan.
The youngster's stock, which is currently trading at about £31 million, has decreased significantly over time.Manchester United may be able to discover themselves a gem of a player at a relative value if they play their cards well and make a large offer in the summer.
All the commotion around the Spanish International could still be agent-driven rubbish, with United's reputation being used as a bargaining piece to advance personal interests.
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