ZCZC
BSP-01
FBL-ENG-PR-MANUTD-SOUTHAMPTON
De Gea contract at top of Mourinho’s Man Utd in-tray
MANCHESTER, United Kingdom, Nov 30, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Tying down David de
Gea on a long-term deal is a top priority for Jose Mourinho as he juggles the
urgent need to turn around Manchester United’s fortunes with longer-term
aims.
The club have completed the formality of activating a contract extension
for the Spaniard, who joined them in 2011 and has won the United fans’ player
of the year award in four of the past five seasons.
He will be in the side that Mourinho takes to struggling Southampton in the
Premier League this weekend after another dazzling display in the Champions
League against Young Boys.
United’s nervy 1-0 win against the Swiss side sealed a placed in the
knockout phase — thanks partly to a wonder save from De Gea — but they are
seven points behind fourth-placed Chelsea in the Premier League and in real
danger of not qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
For all of United’s well-publicised troubles with high-profile stars such
as Paul Pogba, Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku, the form of De Gea has been
magnificent for the club.
That has seen reports resurface that he could be set for a move away from
Old Trafford, with Juventus emerging as rumoured suitors for the 28-year-
old’s services.
“He’s a world-class player, he’s the best goalkeeper in the world and if
our ambitions are to be a big club, to be a winning club, you need the best
goalkeeper in the world and you need also some other players who are the best
in the world,” said Mourinho. – ‘World’s best’ –
“We have the best goalkeeper in the world and I know he wants to stay, I
know his agent is happy to do what the player wants and I also know the board
want him to stay and they are working on that so hopefully sooner or later
they reach a conclusion.”
The Spaniard’s contract extension will keep him at the club until 2020 but
it is the prospect of convincing De Gea, whose agent is Mourinho’s own
representative Jorge Mendes, to agree to a longer-term deal that is proving
problematic.
De Gea, who is reportedly on a contract worth œ200,000 ($255,000) a week,
is aware that Sanchez agreed a deal worth well more than double that amount
when he signed on a free transfer from Arsenal at the start of the year.
And United’s current indifferent form, and broader underlying problems,
will hardly have helped convince the Spanish international to pledge the peak
years of his career to the club.
Strangely, De Gea’s club form has been in contrast to his troubles with
Spain’s national team.
After being widely criticised in his homeland for some uncharacteristically
sloppy performances during the 2018 World Cup finals, De Gea again found
himself on the receiving end of some negative coverage following the recent
3-2 defeat in Croatia.
But United supporters know the debt they owe to their number one goalkeeper
during a difficult season and, should he pursue a lucrative transfer abroad
next summer, it is hard to imagine many begrudging him a move.
As he works out how he can persuade De Gea to stay in the long term,
Mourinho must decide what to do with his three under-achieving superstars
against Southampton, managed by former United favourite Mark Hughes.
Pogba and Lukaku were relegated to the bench for the Young Boys win and
Sanchez left out of the squad completely while defender Victor Lindelof, who
has a “muscular problem,” is a long-term injury absentee.
BSS/MRI/0830 hrs