Erik ten Hag has confirmed that he expects David de Gea to stay at Manchester United this summer - but has warned him that he can't confirm he will always be the club's No.1 goalkeeper next season.
Talks between United and the Spaniard over a new contract have been ongoing over the last few months and both player and club are keen to reach an agreement. His current deal expires at the end of June and the goalkeeper, despite knowing that he will have to take a wage cut, wants to stay.
De Gea was awarded the Premier League Golden Glove on Sunday, with the shot-stopper notching 17 clean sheets in Ten Hag's debut Premier League campaign. However, he has been guilty of committing too many errors in recent months and the Manchester Evening News, following De Gea's error against West Ham United earlier this month, reported that doubts were growing over his position as United's No.1.
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United, who face Manchester City in Saturday's FA Cup final at Wembley, have already identified Anderlecht goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen as a target amid the uncertainty surrounding De Gea's future. And Ten Hag has confirmed that the Spaniard is not guaranteed to remain United's first-choice goalkeeper next term.
Asked if De Gea will be at United next season, Ten Hag, speaking to The Times, said: "Yes, but I will not say he'll always be my No.1 because in a club like Man United there must be competition in all positions. You can’t do it with 11 players.
"It is impossible. You need double positions."
Concerns about De Gea's ability with the ball at his feet have been expressed in recent seasons, not least this term. It is becoming more and more important for a goalkeeper to be comfortable when in possession, certainly for clubs competing at the top end of the biggest leagues.
"It's not what I want, it's more what top football demands nowadays," added Ten Hag. "If you observe the biggest teams, you have to be capable of playing from the back, and use your 'keeper as a plus one in your back, otherwise it's very simple for opponents to put you under pressure.
"He [De Gea] had to step up. In a number of games, he showed progression."
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