David de Gea, Phil Jones and Cristiano Ronaldo are the only three players in the current Manchester United squad to know what it feels like to lift a Premier League title.
The trio could all be leaving United by the summer as Erik ten Hag continues his rebuild project. Jones is surplus to requirements while Ronaldo’s deal expires in June.
But United have an option to trigger a 12-month extension in De Gea’s contract. The goalkeeper has now racked up 500 appearances for the Reds and is the longest-serving first teamer at the club.
READ MORE: David de Gea explains what has changed under Erik ten Hag
The last 11 years have been far from a smooth ride for the shot stopper. United have not been able to clasp hands on the league since 2013 and their last trophy - the Europa League - came some five years ago.
He briefly lost his place in the team under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the 2020/21 season. The Spaniard has since reclaimed his place back but is not in the frame to be heading to Qatar to represent his country at the World Cup.
Some fans are disgruntled over his abilities and United themselves are yet to trigger the 31-year-old’s contract option. This decision will ultimately rest on two factors.
A long-term replacement must be assured before they let De Gea go. Jan Oblak is available on a free this summer if he doesn’t sign on with Atletico Madrid but by turning 30 in January, he’s hardly the future.
World class goalkeepers are traditionally hard to come by, and subsequently purchase when they do. It’s a scouting mission that will take more than a few months to sort. If United cannot secure a new shot-stopper by early summer then they may have no option but to trigger the extension - or offer him a new contract.
This will hand them extra time to find the right man, especially with the priority in the transfer market surely being a new main striker. The second issue at hand is wages.
If Ronaldo ends up leaving before the start of next season then the salary budget will be less weighty. But United surely will not want to bring in someone who commands the wages De Gea currently does, the stalwart being highest paid goalkeeper in the league.
Wages will only increase with time and agreeing to shell out massive wages early on may put United on a worse financial footing long-term. So not only is the right man needed, but for the right cost too.
The task is not straightforward or easy but it’s one the board must get right if Erik ten Hag is going to be successful in his rebuild project. Buying someone who also knows how to win titles would be great.
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