Who Manchester United could target to replace David de Gea amid contract uncertainty

At present, Manchester United’s goalkeeping situation is up in the air. Garnering interest from Saudi Arabian clubs, David de Gea’s future at the club remains uncertain, and if De Gea were to refuse the extension being offered to him, he would end a 13-year stay at Old Trafford.

Erik ten Hag has reinforced on a number of occasions that he wants the Spaniard to stay at United but can’t guarantee ‘he’ll always be the number 1 goalkeeper’. The club have offered him a one-year extension, but this deal includes a pay cut as De Gea is currently the Reds' highest-paid player, earning £375,000 per week.

Despite the offer, the club remain interested in signing a new goalkeeper, to either push De Gea, or replace him.

It appears that one of United’s current back-up options, Dean Henderson, is on his way out. After a loan spell with Nottingham Forest, the Englishman is rumoured to have almost agreed terms to make that move permanent next season, but his parent club have not yet given Henderson or Forest the green light as they await a final decision on De Gea’s future.

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United have been linked with a variety of goalkeepers, including Diogo Costa, David Raya, Jordan Pickford and Andre Onana. All four of those options offer United a younger alternative to De Gea, whose best years are now behind him, despite picking up the Premier League Golden Glove award.

Many believe Ten Hag’s priority is a goalkeeper who has distribution skills to match the very best in the league. Manchester City looked to the Portuguese league when they signed Ederson from Benfica in 2017. The Brazilian was 23 at the time, the same age as Costa currently.

United should not be afraid to