David de Gea is set to reunite with Cristiano Ronaldo after his Manchester United contract expires
David de Gea has played 545 games for Manchester United since arriving from Atletico Madrid in 2011; however, his contract expired on Friday and he is presently a free agent.
David de Gea is a target for Al-Nassr, the Saudi Arabian club for which Cristiano Ronaldo plays.
De Gea’s £375,000-per-week contract with Manchester United has expired, and it is unknown if he will sign a new agreement. The 32-year-old Spain international will have to accept a pay cut to remain at Old Trafford, as Erik ten Hag is unwilling to offer him another lucrative contract.
It is believed that United’s manager is willing to pay De Gea no more than £200,000 per week. The goalkeeper is a free agent as contract negotiations continue, putting Al-Nassr on high alert. It is believed that the Saudis are willing to offer De Gea a weekly salary of £250,000.
If De Gea joins Al-Nassr, he will once again have the opportunity to play alongside Ronaldo. The 38-year-old Portugal international joined Al-Nassr in January after being released by Manchester United two months prior, becoming Saudi Arabia’s top football icon.
According to The Sun, De Gea will have the opportunity to join Saudi Arabia if United’s contract renewal negotiations fail. It has been reported that his preferable option is to sign a new contract with the Red Devils, but there is no assurance that this will occur.
United is at risk of losing two goalkeepers this summer, with Nottingham Forest interested in signing Dean Henderson. Former backup to De Gea, age 26, spent last season on loan at the City Ground and is anticipated to be available for £25 million.
De Gea has not yet signed a contract extension with Manchester United.
Ten Hag has already begun his search for a new goalkeeper, but Andre Onana of Inter Milan is not on his shortlist due to his high price. Inter desires £60 million for the 27-year-old Cameroonian international who played for Ajax under Ten Hag.
According to Mirror Football, Ten Hag is interested in signing Feyenoord’s Justin Bijlow and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Kevin Trapp to replace De Gea and Henderson. Feyenoord desires £20 million for Bijlow, while Trapp is valued at £10 million.
Al-Nassr is one of four clubs owned by the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, and is anticipated to compete for the Saudi Pro League championship next season. They finished second last season, five points behind Al-Ittihad, the champions.
In recent years, United supporters have criticized De Gea, but there is no denying that he is one of the best goalkeepers of his generation. He has won the Premier League Golden Glove twice and the United Player of the Year award four times.
De Gea has also been named to the PFA Team of the Year five times and has won ten trophies with Manchester United and Atletico Madrid, including the Premier League championship, European Super Cup, and two Europa Leagues. He has participated in over 700 senior contests.
Friday, United provided an update on De Gea’s condition.
“De Gea’s contract is due to run out but discussions remain open with the long-serving keeper,” the club said.
David de Gea is set to reunite with Cristiano Ronaldo after his Manchester United contract expires
