Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has told Erik ten Hag that he will have a problem finding a goalkeeper with the right mentality should he wish to replace David de Gea.
The Spaniard was signed by Sir Alex Ferguson in 2011 and has been the first-choice goalkeeper at Old Trafford for over a decade. De Gea recently broke Peter Schmeichel's record for the most clean sheets kept by a Reds goalkeeper.
However, despite holding the option to extend his deal by a further year, United have yet to confirm De Gea will still be at the club next season. If a deal between United and De Gea is not reached before the end of June he will leave on a free transfer.
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Speaking to The Overlap, Neville explained that the No.1 spot at Old Trafford is the most difficult position to fill in English football. He said: "It is a problem, that.
"I’ve said it’s the single most difficult position in English football being the Manchester United goalkeeper. I genuinely believe that.
"I think Liverpool’s No.1 is the second. And that’s not to be disrespectful to all other clubs, I think the Manchester United goalkeeper comes under more scrutiny if they make a mistake than any other position in English football on the pitch.
"It’s tough. And I’ve seen lads in that goal [struggle].
"That’s the problem they’ve got. It’s whether [a new goalkeeper] can handle that stadium.
"I think it’s that element of that lull that they experience where the team are attacking at home for, say, 10 minutes and the 'keeper hasn’t touched the ball and they’re just there. It’s that concentration goalkeepers need to have when they’re not involved in the game."
Despite this issue, Neville believes that De Gea's fellow countryman and current Brentford goalkeeper David Raya could fill his boots. He added: "I think Raya would interest United in the summer.
"I went to watch Brentford a couple of weeks ago… I think he’s going to become available, he’s only got a year left. He could step up."
Raya has been linked with a move to United and when asked about his availability, Bees boss Thomas Frank said that he would cost £40million to buy.
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