Erik ten Hag could be moving towards making David de Gea his backup goalkeeper at Man United amid reports linking Porto's Diogo Costa and Brentford's David Raya to the club.
On Tuesday, Jack Butland confirmed his departure from Old Trafford following the expiry of his loan deal, leaving ten Hag without a backup goalkeeping option. Tom Heaton is also expected to leave the club, with the expiry of his contract coming on June 30, albeit with the former Burnley and Aston Villa man having an optional year's extension on his deal.
This means that thoughts immediately turn to incoming targets, with both Brentford's David Raya and Porto's Diogo Costa believed to be in the frame for a move to Old Trafford. However, this would throw David de Gea's role into jeopardy, with both players being of the calibre to usurp the stalwart as the club's number one.
Last month, ESPN reported that both players were being considered as new number one goalkeepers, leaving David de Gea with a choice to make as his contract heads towards expiry later this month. The 32-year-old has yet to agree an extension to his deal, with wages of £375,000 per week causing a stumbling block to overcome.
De Gea could be forced to accept a pay cut should he wish to remain at the club, with a demotion in his status as number one choice very much a possibility.
The United 'keeper is the club's longest-serving player, having joined in 2011, but has come under scrutiny in recent months for high-profile errors. This has been compounded by a seeming discomfort when playing out from the back with short passing in the manner expected of modern goalkeepers.
De Gea won the Premier League's Golden Glove award in 2022/23, with 17 clean sheets. However, with the growing demands placed on goalkeepers' footwork and both rumoured targets providing such attributes, ten Hag could be tempted as he revealed the importance of the skill in a recent interview.
Speaking to The Times, he said: "It's not what I want [top footwork], it's more what top football demands nowadays.
“If you observe teams, you have to be capable of playing from the back and use your keeper as a plus one. Otherwise, it's simple for opponents to put you under pressure." He continued. “He [De Gea] had to step up. In a number of games, he showed progression."
The Dutchman also outlined his need for two reliable goalkeepers, with the demands of the modern game requiring there to be viable backup options. De Gea played 57 games this season, with his counterparts seeing very little action.
Ten Hag continued: "I will not say he’ll [De Gea] always be my No.1 because, in a club like Manchester United, there must be competition in all positions.
"You can’t do it with 11 players. It is impossible. You need double positions.”
