Manchester United have been urged to keep David de Gea at Old Trafford beyond the expiration of his contract this summer as the Spaniard still has plenty more to give.
United's first-choice shot-stopper sees his current deal come to an end at the end of the season and De Gea is yet to reach an agreement with those at the top of the Red Devils hierarchy over an extension. The goalkeeper is currently on an eye-watering wage of £375,000-a-week and it is widely believed that United aren't willing to offer quite as much this time around.
The Premier League giants do boast an option within De Gea's contract that means they can extend his stay at United for another year, which in turn presents Erik ten Hag's side with more time for negotiations.
Eric Steele is United's former goalkeeping coach and actually recommended De Gea to then-manager Sir Alex Ferguson back in 2011 when the club forked out £18.9million to sign him from Atletico Madrid.
Steele has made clear while speaking to Mail Sport that he feels United would be making a mistake in not tying De Gea down for the foreseeable.
"He’s still in his prime, he’s still young as a goalkeeper but look at the experience. He’s not going to be far off 550 games by the end of the season, and that’s at 32 years of age.
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"I wouldn’t want him to be lost to Manchester United and the Premier League. Hopefully they will get this deal sorted and he stays part of the Ten Hag era.
"It’s down to David and the club. I think it’s about time it was sorted. We keep hearing it’s going to be resolved but we’re in May now. His contract runs out at the end of June. It would be nice to have an announcement to say which way it’s going."
While Steele's feelings are clear, not everyone is as big of an admirer of De Gea - just ask United legend Roy Keane.
The Irishman has been particularly vocal in his criticism of De Gea in recent years and that has continued this season.
In the aftermath of the humiliating 7-0 drubbing away at Liverpool back in March, Keane was scathing in his review of the United goalkeeper as he told Sky Sports: "I wonder if De Gea will get a presentation tonight, letting seven goals in. If you're an international goalkeeper and you let in seven goals, that last goal was school boy stuff."
Ten Hag has made clear De Gea has his full support and often publicly backed the 32-year-old in the face of the kind of criticism Keane and co. have sent his way.
