David de Gea's destiny at Manchester United appears to be in Erik ten Hag's hands. No player divides opinion as much when it comes to the reshuffling of Manchester United's squad as goalkeeper David de Gea.
Others view De Gea as out of date, a keeper who welcomes pressure and cleans up situations that a more cautious stopper could have prevented in the first place, and they are just ready for a change.
Erik ten Hag seems to favor the initial camp. The Spaniard, whose current contract expires at the conclusion of the season, is a major favorite of his.
When asked about David de Gea during his press conference prior to Sevilla, Ten Hag referred to the goalkeeper as "complete." Ten Hag dispelled the myth that De Gea excels in some aspects of his game while lacking in others by offering the Spaniard his complete support.
"Stopping goals, avoiding goals as that is the main job for a goalkeeper," Erik Ten Hag explained during his press conference on Wednesday night in Seville.
"You can do it in many more ways, everyone has their own particular style and nowadays in possession, it becomes more and more important, especially at the top level because there you take control and it is more difficult for the opponent to gain pressure, you also concede less chances."
“But at the end of the day it’s about stopping goals, stopping shots, stopping crosses, one-on-ones etc so that is more like the classic goalkeeper. I think David is really multi-functional and a really compete goalkeeper. We are very happy with him.”
De Gea may lose support if he makes a high-profile mistake that costs United the match in one of the pivotal cup matches.
It would make sense for United to avoid overcommitting if De Gea's contract is renewed, keeping the door open for a replacement in subsequent transfer windows.
David De Gea's contract situation
According to sources speaking to Football Insider, Man United and goalkeeper David de Gea are confident in their ability to strike a new contract agreement.
The Old Trafford club wants the 32-year-old to accept a pay reduction from his reportedly £375,000 weekly salary because his contract expires at the end of the current campaign.
On Monday, April 17, Football Insider reported that De Gea had rejected every offer given during this stage of the discussions. But a trusted Man United insider told this website that the Spaniard is still "happy" there.
Although there have been rumors associating Erik ten Hag's team with a new goalkeeper this summer, it is thought that there is a genuine readiness to reach a deal from all parties.
De Gea, the highest-paid player at Old Trafford, is one of many athletes whose long-term future is still up in the air.
As Man United looks to reduce their salary bill spending, senior talents Marcus Rashford, Fred, and Diogo Dalot are among those whose contracts expire in June 2024.
When their contracts expire this summer, backup goalkeepers Tom Heaton and Jack Butland are also expected to leave Old Trafford for nothing.
After his loan at Nottingham Forest expires this summer, Dean Henderson, who formerly competed with De Gea for a spot in the starting lineup, is expected to return to the team.
This season, De Gea has played a key role in Ten Hag's squad, making 47 appearances across all competitions and assisting Man United in winning the League Cup.
The former Spain international now has the lead in the competition for the Golden Glove award for the top division after recording 14 Premier League clean sheets in the 2022–23 season.
Meanwhile, Ivan Rakitic of Sevilla has guaranteed that against Manchester United this week, Sevilla will give it their all.
Sevilla's comeback in the Europa League first leg at Old Trafford, when they went from two goals down to tie 2-2, has given them new hope.
Ivan Rakitic of Sevilla thinks the La Liga team's home advantage will matter in the second leg. He visited Sevilla while representing Barcelona in the away dressing room, thus he is aware of the importance of the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium's home crowd.
Erik ten Hag's side will face an intimidating and boisterous environment, Rakitic warned while speaking to AS.
"These people don’t know what awaits them on Thursday. It is a team with a lot of experience and many millions, but United does not know what Ramón Sanchez-Pizjuán is like packed. I know from when I was at Barcelona that players from other teams sing the Sevilla anthem on the pitch," he said.
“It’s unique. What our fans have created is very impressive”
He forewarned that Casemiro and David de Gea, two players who are familiar with the venue, will be anxious.
“De Gea or Casemiro," Ivan Rakitic continued. "who have played here, will surely explain to them that this is something else. You get anywhere and they say that this is Sevilla’s competition."
“They are going to have to suffer, I cannot guarantee that we will qualify but we are going to leave everything on the field.”
An unfavorable record versus Sevilla exists for David de Gea in particular. In eight attempts, including a loss to Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey championship, he has yet to defeat them. However, during his final trip with Manchester United in 2018, he managed to maintain a clean sheet.
Against Sevilla, Casemiro has a superior record. In 16 games versus them, he has only suffered four losses, and he hasn't suffered a loss since 2018. He has only ever done it once against them, the sole Spanish team.
Rakitic acknowledged Manchester United's ability to entice Casemiro to the club last summer. "We are talking about one of the most important teams in Europe and with significant economic potential. There are few teams that can take away a Real Madrid starter, Casemiro, that speaks of the strength and potential of Manchester United.”
The presence of players who have previously played for Sevilla will undoubtedly benefit United. Scott McTominay and Victor Lindelof both started for United in the 0-0 draw from last year, however the latter's readiness for the game is in question.
With the FA Cup semifinal taking place at Wembley two days later, United is concerned about how much a victory may drain the team's energies. However, going into the match against Brighton on the heels of a loss would be much more detrimental.
Post a Comment