Gary Neville reckons that Brentford's David Raya is capable of 'stepping up' and replacing David de Gea at Manchester United, with both goalkeepers facing uncertain futures.
De Gea, 32, is approaching the final year of his contract with the Red Devils and despite his self-proclaimed confidence that a new deal will be agreed in the near future, there's no sign of confirmation. The four-time Player of the Year won his eighth trophy in 12 years with United on Sunday, registering his 181st clean sheet for the club in their comfortable 2-0 victory over Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final.
After breaking Peter Schmeichel's all-time record at Wembley, manager Erik ten Hag classily presented him with a commemorate shirt - but the Dutch tactician could soon be telling him to sit on the bench. The Red Devils have been linked with fellow Spanish shot-stopper Raya, who helped Brentford earn promotion to the top flight two years ago and has continued to shine ever since.
The 27-year-old's form has seen him dislodge De Gea in the Spanish national team setup, a move which former United captain Neville would appear to welcome at Old Trafford amid reports that the Red Devils are considering a summer swoop. Referencing the fact that Raya - like his compatriot - is out of contract in June 2024, having already rejected two offers of improved terms from Brentford, Neville declared on The Overlap: "I think he could step up. I think Raya would interest United in the summer."
The ex-Red Devils right-back also warned anyone succeeding De Gea between the Old Trafford posts that they face what he believes to be "the single most difficult position in English football." "I think Liverpool's No.1 is second and that's no disrespect to any other clubs," Neville added. "It's tough and I've seen lads in that goal."
His comments come from watching the budding Spain international excel in West London, showing superb distribution skills and a willingness to be involved in build-up play; two aspects which Ten Hag wants in his goalkeeper. Raya is also a solid shot-stopper, having come through the ranks at Blackburn Rovers before leaving in 2019 for a fee reported to be worth around £3million.
Brentford could demand 10 times that amount in order to part ways with their undisputed No.1 this summer, and club chiefs may well be tempted to cash in should he continue to turn down their offers. Nevertheless, Raya himself insists that he's open to remaining with the Bees beyond this term.
"I turned down two contracts, one last year and one this January," Raya recently revealed to The Athletic. "They weren't the offers we were looking for. I can only say that. I want to focus on playing games and not think too much about my future. I have a contract here, so I'm willing to finish that, but you never know what’s going to happen in the summer.
"Maybe the club wants to sell, maybe not. Maybe I want to stay. I want to focus on football and see what happens. The club will decide the price and if a club wants to pay money, that will be it. I'm not worried about that. I'm not in charge of that.
"I have big ambitions. I want to play in Europe and I want to fight to win a title. I want to fight to win a European title. I trust myself to be able to play in those types of games."
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His ambitions align with those of Ten Hag and United - as well as De Gea. Now in his 12th season at Old Trafford, the former Atletico Madrid starlet desperately wants to help return the Red Devils back to the top of world football, reportedly so keen that he's willing to take a sizeable pay cut on his £375,000-a-week wages, which currently make him the highest-paid player in Ten Hag's squad.
De Gea confirmed a month ago that talks between his representatives and United over a new deal were still ongoing, before adding: "For sure it's going to end in a good way. I've been in very tough moments for this club. Now I'm enjoying it more. It's great. The team spirit is great; the atmosphere is great.
"Everyone is thinking in the same way, playing in the same way. A good manager; good players who bring experience to the team; people who want the ball, who play well with the ball - it's a mix of everything. Everyone fights until the end. It's great to watch the team playing and performing well. We're on a great run."
