Manchester United players unsure if superstar will stay after costly error in FA Cup final - Reports
Manchester United players are reportedly uninformed about David de Gea's future at the club and are unsure he will stay following his FA Cup final blunder.
According to Manchester Evening News, several of the higher-ups at Old Trafford are ready to move on from De Gea. The Spaniard's contract with the Red Devils has entered its final week.
Manchester United do remain in contact with the Spanish shot-stopper over a new deal. He's the club's longest-serving player after joining from Atletico Madrid in 2011.
However, the recently concluded season was a mixed one for the 32-year-old. He won the Premier League's Golden Glove with 17 clean sheets in 38 games. However, there were several glaring mistakes that the veteran goalkeeper made throughout the campaign.
De Gea was particularly poor when Ilkay Gundogan scored his second in Manchester City's 2-1 win against Manchester United in the FA Cup final. De Gea was to blame for the German's effort, which he should have saved.
The Old Trafford dressing room are unsure whether the Spaniard will stay, and that the FA Cup final defeat to City could have been his last outing. He has made 545 appearances for the Red Devils, keeping 190 clean sheets across competitions. The Spanish shot-stopper has won the Premier League, Europa League, two FA Cups and two League Cups.
Reports claim that Saudi giants Al Hilal have been in contact with De Gea over a move to the Middle East. The veteran goalkeeper will expect to earn more at the King Fahd International Stadium than at United, as he has been asked to cut his wages if he wants a new deal with the latter. Moreover, he's unlikely to be the undisputed No. 1 at Old Trafford even if he signs a new deal.
Manchester United's Marcus Rashford set to replace David de Gea as highest earner at club
Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is reportedly set to become the highest earner at the club. The Sun reports that the English attacker is set to be handed a new £375,000 per week deal.
They report that Rashford will take the current weekly wage package that De Gea earns. If the Spanish goalkeeper wants to renew, he will take the £200,000 a week deal Rashford is on.
Rashford has a year left in his contract after Manchester United decided to trigger the one-year option in his deal. He enjoyed the best campaign of his career, scoring 30 goals and providing 11 assists in 56 games across competitions.
The Red Devils' decision is a step away from Erik ten Hag's previous intent to place a wage cap at the club. United have been guilty of stumping out large sums of money for star talent. They did so when they re-signed Cristiano Ronaldo in 2021, with the Portuguese icon earning £515,385 per week.
That saw a new 'Ronaldo rule' be introduced earlier this year, which was to ensure that no player was paid significantly more than their teammates, per The Daily Mail.