Manchester United keeper David de Gea still has a year left on his contract, but is being targeted by Paris Saint-Germain.
That’s according to ESPN, who also claim that the Red Devils have shortlisted Atletico Madrid’s Jan Oblak, AC Milan’s Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Ajax Amsterdam’s Andre Onana as potential replacements.
United is understandably desperate to keep hold of their Spanish custodian – de Gea has won the Player of the Year award a record 4 times. The 28-year-old has largely been the club’s best player over the last 5 to 6 seasons.
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However, he committed a few major blunders last season for both United and Spain, leading to severe criticism in the media.
De Gea reportedly rejected a five-year contract offer worth £350,000 per week recently, and the club is hesitant on further increasing his wages to make him the highest paid player at Old Trafford.
If the situation isn’t resolved by January 1, de Gea will be free to negotiate pre-contract terms with other clubs, which means United could lose him for free next summer. That’s a situation that Ed Woodward and Ole Gunnar Solskjær will be desperate to avoid.
There’s been no indication so far that PSG will make a move for the Spaniard this summer. It’s not a possibility that can be ruled out though, considering that Gianluigi Buffon recently sealed a return to Juventus for the 2019/20 campaign.
The French champions will definitely be on the hunt for some goalkeeper, and a big enough offer could persuade United to let de Gea leave instead of risking a free transfer next year.
The replacements being touted are certainly some very big names – Jan Oblak would surely cost in excess of £100 million. Donnarumma is still only 20 and would be a great long-term investment, while Onana will probably be the cheapest available option.
United also already has an able deputy in Sergio Romero – probably one of the best backup keepers in the world – while Dean Henderson was very impressive while on loan at Sheffield United last season.
Considering the insanely high terms that de Gea seems to be demanding, don’t be surprised if a PSG bid sparks a transfer merry-go-round.