Erik ten Hag has emphasised how David de Gea has the most clean sheets in the Premier League after the goalkeeper’s clanger against West Ham.
The Spaniard has endured another error-strewn campaign with his latest mistake proving costly as his meek attempt at saving Said Benrahma’s hopeful long-range effort. De Gea lost his footing and despite getting a hand to the ball, allowed it to trickle over the line.
That high-profile error proved decisive in United’s 1-0 defeat at West Ham, a result which strikes a huge blow to United's hopes of a top-four finish. De Gea’s performance was nervy with multiple misplaced passes out from the back and uncertain goalkeeping from corners.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Ten Hag looked to downplay the error after the game and emphasised the goalkeeper’s plus points this season. He instead opted to focus on the defeat at the Hammers, in which United were largely second best, as a team responsibility.
Ten Hag explained to BT Sport after the match: "Yes [it was a bad error], but mistakes are part of football. As a team, you have to deal with it and bounce back. It's a team sport. Like you said, over the season, he's the person with the most clean sheets. Everyone has to take responsibility."
De Gea’s future at Old Trafford is in serious doubt; he is out of contract at the end of the current campaign and having turning down their opening contract offer, there is now a big possibility that he leaves the club this summer.
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The long-serving Spanish goalkeeper – who joined United in the summer of 2011 from Atletico Madrid – is, alongside Phil Jones, one of only two players remaining at the club from Sir Alex Ferguson’s era in the dugout.
De Gea signed a hefty deal in 2019 that made him not only the club's highest-paid player but also the Premier League's top earner on £375,000 per week. The goalkeeper accepts that at the age of 32, he cannot command the same type of money, but still wants an amount that reflects his value.
United are thought to be on the lookout for a new goalkeeper this summer to provide competition for De Gea’s place and possibly usurp him as first choice. Porto goalkeeper and Portugal international Diogo Costa is one candidate, while United are keeping tabs on Brentford shot stopper David Raya.
De Gea has also faced question marks regarding his style of play, which some don't feel is suited to boss Erik ten Hag's system. The Dutchman's possession-based ethos requires his goalkeeper to be comfortable on the ball and confident when it comes to his distribution.
