Manchester United might have a David de Gea decision to make sooner than later

Throughout David de Gea’s career at Manchester United, supporters have seen him turn into one of the world’s best shot-stoppers but there always has been one question mark over the Spaniard’s game - his distribution.

De Gea joined the Reds from Atletico Madrid in 2011 and has gone on to become the club’s eleventh all-time appearance maker. He had a shaky start during his first couple of years in Manchester, often being rotated with different goalkeepers, but since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, he has been the one constant through a multitude of changes and has been a rock behind United’s various shaky defences.

The 31-year-old has won United’s player of the season award four times with three consecutive accolades between 2014-2016. The goalkeeper has been fundamental for United’s relevancy and without him, they would have arguably struggled to even earn a Europa League position.

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However, if United want to become a modern-day footballing giant once again some fans would argue they must be ruthless and De Gea's distribution might be a reason to look for strong competition for him.

Every major European club has a goalkeeper who is comfortable with the ball at their feet and who can pick out a long field or a lobbed pass to a full-back. Alisson and Ederson are the best examples of this in the Premier League.

Although De Gea insists he is comfortable at playing out from the back, United at times looked hopeless during their 2-1 loss to Brighton at Old Trafford and a factor in the defeat was De Gea’s dawdling when in possession of the ball. During a goal kick, Brighton pressed United’s defenders often forcing De Gea into launching the ball over the top.

Throughout the Brighton match, it