David de Gea has rejected Manchester United’s offer of a new contract, but the goalkeeper insists he remains in love with the club. De Gea has enjoyed a return to form this season after enduring a difficult 18 months when his status as the club’s undisputed No.1 was in question. Doubts over how well suited the 32-year-old is to Erik ten Hag’s preferred style of football remain, but De Gea has shown signs of adjusting and adapting over the course of the early part of the Dutchman’s reign.
United remain heavily linked with Brentford’s David Raya and Porto’s Diogo Costa, both of whom are more suited to Ten Hag’s requirements of a goalkeeper; namely being comfortable in possession and being able to play line-breaking passes. De Gea, who broke United’s all-time clean sheet record earlier this season, currently earns a staggering £402,250-a-week and is the third highest earner in the entire Premier League.
The former Atletico Madrid star accepts he will have to take a pay-cut in order to prolong his Old Trafford career and is understood to be willing to do so, although United’s first offer is reported to have been deemed unacceptable. Speaking about his future and his affection for the club he has served with such distinction since 2011, De Gea told Sky Sports: “Of course I’ve been here many, many years enjoying every moment in this club, playing many, many games. Of course it’s great to be here, it’s a massive club, I love the club and I’m really happy here of course.”
“It has been the same over the years, a lot of noise about everything in this club but the players, we just focus on games. Especially the one we have on Sunday is a massive one for us because we want to finish in the top four. Like I say we have many, many games so we have to be really focused on training well, recovering well, helping the team and that’s the most important thing, rather than contracts or anything.”
United’s refusal to let Mason Greenwood return to training until next season at the earliest has been reported. Liverpool look likely to scupper Manchester City’s Premier League title bid. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.