Manchester United cannot afford to lose David de Gea

Despite having a solid backup in Sergio Romero, Manchester United can ill afford to lose de Gea any time soon.

Every summer since his arrival, David de Gea has been linked with a move away from Manchester United. Real Madrid and Barcelona are the usual rumors, but nothing has come of it each time. This is down to the fact that United cannot afford to lose him, as he is imperative to the team’s’ success.

Since coming to United from Atletico Madrid, de Gea has been in the conversation of world’s best keeper. His lightening quick reflexes and strong hands make him a valuable shot stopper.

He often comes up big in pressure situations and is the type of leader from the back that managers dream of having. The passion he plays with resonates throughout the team when he is on the pitch.

This season, de Gea is again near the top of the list in terms of clean sheets in the Premier League. He has 14 so far, putting him just one behind leader Hugo Lloris. Since 2011, he has kept 75 clean sheets in the league alone. The consistency he plays with makes him an obvious choice for big matches.

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Losing de Gea would be disastrous for United. Back up keeper Sergio Romero is already linked with a move to Inter Milan in the coming weeks, so the club will already be short on keepers. Romero has come up big as a back up to de Gea this year, so this is quite the blow for them.

Replacing de Gea, should they sell him, would be both difficult and expensive. Finding a replacement that is not only as good or better than de Gea, but also willing to leave their club would be hard. World class keepers often stay at clubs for many years, as they are the backbone to a team.

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United must do all they can to fend off the offers they receive for Spain’s number one. His ability to change a game and give his team solidity in the back is second to none. With Romero already all but gone, securing de Gea should be priority number one for Manchester United.