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Football

26th Feb 2019

Manchester United struggling to meet David de Gea’s demands for a new contract

Manchester United's efforts to secure David de Gea's future have hit a snag due to the club and player not seeing eye to eye on his new salary.

Marc Mayo

Reports suggest the star goalkeeper is looking for a wage close to Alexis Sanchez’s £400,000 per week

Manchester United’s efforts to secure David de Gea’s future have hit a snag due to the club and player not seeing eye to eye on his new salary.

Recently triggering a 12-month extension on de Gea’s contract, the Red Devils only have until the end of next season to agree a new contract for the goalkeeper, with just nine months until he can sign a pre-agreement with foreign clubs. Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain have previously been linked with a move, as have Real Madrid.

That may sound like a long time but negotiations have already lasted a year and the Evening Standard claim United’s offer of £350,000 per week is not satisfying the Spaniard’s representatives, who are said to have recently upped their demands.

The current offer wouldn’t actually make De Gea the club’s top earner – Alexis Sánchez holds that prestigious title. The Chilean is believed to have pocketed £400,000 per week since signing from Arsenal in January 2018, and that amount will be matched by Aaron Ramsey when he moves from North London to Juventus next summer.

As such, there is now a creeping possibility that United will be gazumped by a major rival, should they fail to meet the goalkeeper’s demands. However, it is also reported that De Gea maintains in private that he is happy at Old Trafford and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s promising start to life in the dugout should help quell fears the team will be uncompetitive.

The 28-year-old has been named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year five times, including the last four in a row, and can be considered responsible for saving his side in a countless number of games since signing in 2011. Just don’t mention the World Cup, though.