David de Gea has now become a problem for Manchester United.
Three errors that have led directly to goals in his last four games means that the Spanish goalkeeper is under more scrutiny than ever between the sticks at Old Trafford. He has been regarded as the ‘best goalkeeper in the world’ over the past five seasons but that simply has not been the case over the course of this campaign. He doesn’t even make the top three.
Now United are faced with a difficult decision to make over their goalkeeper. He almost joined Real Madrid back in 2015 but a dodgy fax machine prevented that deal from going through at the last minute. Since then, rumours have been rife that De Gea will end up at the Bernabeu although when Madrid plumped for Thibaut Courtois last summer, it seemed as if they had given up.
However, since the return of Zinedine Zidane in the Spanish capital, Thibaut Courtois has found it difficult to nail down a spot in the starting 11. Zidane prefers the goalkeeper who won him three consecutive Champions League trophies, Keylor Navas and many fans would be pleased to see the back of Courtois after his poor form earlier in the season.
De Gea’s contract at Old Trafford expires in 2020, which puts Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in an incredibly tricky situation. It also puts the power in De Gea’s hands - if he can keep hold it. He is under no pressure to sign a new deal and can ask for huge money, on the basis that United could lose him on a free next summer something which would confirm that they are no longer one of the elite clubs in Europe.
There is another option for Manchester United. Cash in on one of their most prized assets this summer and bring in a replacement with the funds. It would require some big moves from some of Europe’s big players to free up a move but the likes of PSG and Real Madrid would surely jump at the chance to sign one of the top goalkeepers in the world.
United may not even need to rush to bring in a replacement. In Sergio Romero, they have one of the best second-choice goalkeepers in the world, a safe pair of hands who has found game time limited during his time at Old Trafford. The 32-year-old would relish the opportunity to step up to the plate and could be given his chance in the final few games of this season.
If Solskjaer does decide to switch things up in goal, we could have seen the last of David de Gea at Manchester United.
@GNev2, @AlexScott and Graeme Souness look at David De Gea's standing at #MUFC
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