Manchester United know what they must do even if David de Gea signs new contract

"I have to repeat, last game, last week, every time, we want him to stay, he wants to stay, we will find each other."

Erik ten Hag has been clear on the future of goalkeeper David de Gea for quite some time at Manchester United. The Dutchman wants the stopper who has been first choice since he arrived at Old Trafford in the summer of 2011 to continue his time in M16.

The 32-year-old's contract expires at the end of June when he could walk away from the club for free. Should no agreement be reached, then the goalkeeper's time on the pitch on the final day of the Premier League season against Fulham would have been his last at Old Trafford.

However, all parties seem confident that an agreement will be reached, despite the sticking point of the player's wages and a potential reduction which appears to have held things up. But De Gea may well end up extending his stay at United beyond a 12th season.

It might seem on the face of it that United's goalkeeping issue is solved and that could well be the case, it could be argued. De Gea is still a good stopper, the holder of the Premier League Golden Glove and, when Phil Jones departs this summer, will be the only player in the current United squad to have won the top flight title.

But even if De Gea does continue to be at United, the Old Trafford club must look to a future beyond the Spaniard being the first choice shot stopper. This summer is an opportunity to begin that process.

Looking individually at the options behind De Gea currently in the pecking order, Dean Henderson, currently out injured, has spent the campaign at Nottingham Forest. For a time under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, it looked like the Cumbrian would genuinely compete for the number one jersey and provide a