Manchester United should be doing what Brighton and Brentford are in the transfer market

As Manchester United players grudgingly waited for their City counterparts to ascend the steps at Wembley, Peter Schmeichel sidled over to console David de Gea.

Schmeichel was in the BBC studio with Micah Richards, a cheerleader without pom-poms. Schmeichel, the de facto United representative for the BBC’s coverage, was an apt choice.

Schmeichel is so obsequious in his analysis of United that his myopic punditry is nonsensical. He seriously touted Steve Bruce as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s replacement, having repeatedly backed Solskjaer. Schmeichel is an occasional club ambassador, too.

To many supporters of a certain vintage, Schmeichel is traitorous for his season at City and jubilantly revelling in their win over United in the last derby at Maine Road in November 2002. Schmeichel’s revisionism on that day in his book would make Sir Alex Ferguson blush.

Exclusive: United figures want to move on from De Gea

Yet even Schmeichel had already apportioned the blame at De Gea for Ilkay Gundogan’s winner. If Schmeichel was remotely sympathetic towards De Gea, it would not have washed with those who donned red bucket hats at Wembley two weeks ago. Plenty had already given up on De Gea before his dilatory reaction to Gundogan's trickler.

De Gea lacks allies with his contract scheduled for the shredder next week. In Spain, De Gea’s cold relationship with the country’s media is irrelevant as his international career is effectively over.

United fans are wondering why the club have not been as decisive as the former coach Luis Enrique in 2021. His replacement, Luis de la Fuente, has not recalled De Gea, whose exile from the Spain squad is approaching the two-year mark.

De Gea was once an elusive interviewee, back when Real Madrid saw