Like it or not, the end is nigh for David de Gea as Manchester United's undisputed No.1 goalkeeper.
A 12-year servant, four-time Player of the Year award winner and the final Sir Alex Ferguson-signed star to still be at Old Trafford, De Gea embodies a bittersweet era for a portion of United supporters. But it's now June 2023 and we're in the final days of his £375,000 contract which was agreed back when the Spaniard was undisputedly the finest player of the Red Devils' post-Ferguson malaise.
Make no mistake, United are still enduring that period of underperformance, but a ruthless Erik ten Hag is ready to change that. Midway through last season, De Gea was offered a contract which would see him suffer a significant drop on his eye-watering wage packet.
The 32-year-old is hardly strapped for cash and keen to continue at United, so he agreed to take a pay cut and signed the proposal - only for club chiefs to pull out. De Gea was rightly angered and now it's emerged that Ten Hag was a driving force behind the U-turn, having witnessed his season-defining errors in the latter stages of what was, on the whole, a positive first campaign as manager.
Nevertheless, there's still an offer on the table for the 45-capped Spain international - albeit one which includes an even more drastic salary reduction. Ten Hag is happy to keep him, too, but has made it crystal clear that he can't guarantee him an automatic starting place when the Red Devils welcome Wolves to Old Trafford on Monday, August 14 to begin their Premier League campaign.
But something else is for sure, the Dutch boss wants another goalkeeper to either replace or challenge him. So, how about splashing the cash on a younger shot-stopper with great potential such as Andre Onana, Diogo Costa or David Raya?
Smart in principle, but perhaps impractical this summer. As Mirror Football reported last weekend, Ten Hag is reluctant to spend a significant portion of his transfer budget on a new goalkeeper, strengthening De Gea's position around the negotiating table.
We'll soon find out but if the former Atletico Madrid 'keeper chooses to stay, it's hard to imagine Ten Hag settling for just him and Tom Heaton as his senior goalkeepers. Of course, if De Gea waves goodbye, then United will be forced to dip into the transfer market and find a new No.1.
All this uncertainty helps no one, so how about finding someone who can be the solution to both scenarios? Dean Henderson, you might think. Well, recent reports indicate that he's convinced over a permanent move to Nottingham Forest, and although Ten Hag is open to keeping him around next season, one man makes more sense to either replace or challenge De Gea: Yann Sommer.
Supporters may well be familiar with the name, as the Red Devils have been linked with signing him on multiple occasions. That speculation was quashed in January when he agreed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Bayern Munich, although was only guaranteed five months as No.1.
Covering for Manuel Neuer after the Bayern legend suffered a leg break while on a ski holiday during the winter break, Sommer helped Thomas Tuchel's side lift the Bundesliga title and racked up 25 appearances in all competitions. Unfortunately for him, though, Neuer is likely to usurp him by the beginning of next term, leaving the Switzerland international at a crossroads.
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With hot competition in his country's goalkeeping department, Sommer needs regular minutes to ensure that he doesn't miss out on wearing the No.1 shirt at Euro 2024. Recently, the ex-Borussia Monchengladbach goalkeeper was warned about his potential lack of playing time and could be pressured into a summer transfer away from Munich.
"We have three-to-four top goalkeepers in Switzerland and all need to play," Switzerland goalkeeping coach Patrick Foletti told Abendzeitung. "I think in Yann's mind and plans he wants to be in goal every weekend and not sit on the bench. I don't know whether that will be at Bayern or anywhere else."
That opens the door for United, who with Ten Hag's backing can hand the Swiss ace the gloves and offer him the chance to oust De Gea. Albeit two years older, Sommer still has plenty of life left in him, as demonstrated by his acrobatic goalkeeping style and desire to get involved in build-up play.
That's an obvious upgrade on De Gea, who's perennially accused of being too passive in his penalty area and dodgy on the ball. The Red Devils would likely get a cheap deal on Sommer, too, or even be able to loan the 34-year-old.
Yes, Ten Hag did that with Martin Dubravka and Jack Butland last term, but with all due respect to the Premier League shot-stoppers, Sommer is of a much higher calibre and De Gea needs more serious competition.
As for what the man himself has said, he's keeping his options open. "I still have two years of contract with Bayern and I'm very happy about it," Sommer recently told SRF. "For this reason, I'm very relaxed. Now, I'm with the national team and then I'll have a few days off. I'll think about the future (later on)."
That time is now and just like Ten Hag, Sommer can't afford to waste the summer window deliberating over future plans. Both men need to be decisive.
Should De Gea stick around, then for the first time since his early struggles under Ferguson he'll have some actual competition. And if he goes, the Red Devils will have recruited a top-level goalkeeper who possess the traits which Ten Hag desires to help make United great again.
