Manchester United are confident that David de Gea will sign a new deal, with the goalkeeper expected to receive a marked increase on his current salary of around €200,000 (£180,000) a week.
The Spaniard is out of contract next summer, though United do have an option of another year. Yet given De Gea’s consistently superb form as one of the world’s best goalkeepers, and his importance to the side, there is a will from José Mourinho and the Old Trafford hierarchy to secure the 27-year-old’s services for the long term.
The Spaniard came close to joining Real Madrid in the summer of 2015 when Louis van Gaal was in charge at United. Real, though, left their bid to the final day and an offer of €32.5m (£29.3m) proved unsuccessful when the requisite paperwork was not filed in time.
De Gea subsequently signed his current improved terms, though the threat of him leaving for the Bernabéu continued to linger.
The European champions signed Thibaut Courtois on Thursday, which appears to have ended their pursuit of De Gea for the moment at least. Yet, while it is understood this removes a potential complication regarding De Gea prolonging a United career that began in June 2011, there is a confidence he would have agreed the fresh deal even if Courtois had not joined Real.
Since Alex Ferguson brought De Gea to Old Trafford for €21m (£18.9m), a record at the time for a goalkeeper in English football, he has won the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League.
The Spaniard – who featured for Spain at this summer’s World Cup finals in Russia, where they were knocked out in a penalty shootout against the host nation in Moscow – claimed last season’s domestic Golden Glove and United’s Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year, the award voted for by fans. He previously claimed it for three successive seasons, a record. - Guardian service
