David de Gea 'expecting to stay' at Man Utd this summer
By Tom Gott
Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea is not expecting to leave Old Trafford this summer and believes he will still be the club's starting goalkeeper in 2021/22.
De Gea endured another mixed campaign in between the sticks for United and saw himself replaced by youngster Dean Henderson towards the end of the campaign. However, he did force his way back into the starting lineup for the Europa League final... only to see his stock plummet again following a nightmare penalty shoot-out.
United find themselves at a crossroad when it comes to goalkeepers this summer. 24-year-old Henderson has made it clear he will demand an exit this summer if he is not the first-choice goalkeeper, but some at United clearly believe that the England international is not yet ready to overtake 30-year-old De Gea.
There have been plenty of suggestions that De Gea could be sold this summer to make way for Henderson, but according to The Sun, the veteran goalkeeper does not believe he will be going anywhere.
De Gea is not thought to have been given any indication from United that he may have played his final game for the club, despite interest from a handful of sides across Europe. Paris Saint-Germain were keen, but their move for AC Milan's Gianluigi Donnarumma has put an end to that.
Now, De Gea believes he will remain at the club and expects to be Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's starting goalkeeper when the new season arrives, with Henderson set to be the one to make way.
Whichever decision United do make, it's likely to divide the fanbase. Some supporters remain loyal to De Gea, who was widely accepted to be the best in the world in his position just a few years ago, but others have grown weary of the error-laden performances that come with the Spaniard and are ready to put faith in Henderson.
Another factor to be considered is De Gea's enormous wages. The Spaniard takes home around £375,000 per week at Old Trafford and is set to do so for the next two years, which is a lot of money to commit to a player who doesn't inspire complete confidence every week.
If De Gea does stay, Henderson will be out the door and there will be no shortage of suitors for the young Englishman.
The likes of Tottenham, Chelsea and West Ham United have all been linked with the 24-year-old, who could cost the best part of £40m if he does leave Old Trafford.