David de Gea proved how important he could be for Manchester United after he prevented Young Boys from taking the lead in their Champions League clash yesterday.
The 28-year-old Spaniard’s form has been questioned for both club and country this season, but with interest coming in from Paris Saint-Germain, Red Devils boss José Mourinho won’t want the shot-stopper to leave the club.
According to BBC Sport, the club are ready to trigger de Gea’s one-year contract extension to ensure that he doesn’t leave Old Trafford in January.
With the former Atlético Madrid ‘keeper out of contract in the summer, it would mean that he could sign a pre-contract agreement in January with a club from abroad.
Name a better goalkeeper than David de Gea in football history. We’ll wait. pic.twitter.com/GhmcDMdBmr
— ShotOnGoal (@shotongoal247) November 28, 2018
The former Chelsea boss praised United’s number one for his performance against Young Boys. “Without David’s save, no winning goal either,” he said (via the Guardian).
“He is a world-class goalkeeper, probably the best in the world, and that’s exactly what you need if you want to be a big club that wins things.
“I know he is happy here, I know he wants to stay and I know the board are working to make that happen.”
It is understood De Gea is open to the idea of remaining at the club, although as yet, there has been no agreement on terms, with De Gea’s camp mindful of the enormous salary United agreed to pay Alexis Sanchez when he joined from Arsenal 10 months ago.
David de Gea deserves to be the highest paid player at the club. He is our most valuable player, without him we would struggle a lot. He has been the best player at the club for a very long time and he deserves all the money he is asking for. Pay the man what he wants. @ManUtd
— Devils of United (@DevilsOfUnited) November 28, 2018
Mourinho complained after the game that United are finding it “very difficult” to score, but despite keeping clean sheets against Palace and Young Boys, his side have also been shipping goals far too frequently. With Victor Lindelof ruled out for around three weeks with a thigh injury, Phil Jones was asked to partner Chris Smalling at the back for the first time this season – the seventh different central defensive pairing Mourinho has fielded in – and Smalling admitted United could do without more defensive upheaval.