Spain have experienced a less-than comfortable start to this summer’s World Cup. All seemed rosy in the Spanish camp until coach Julen Lopetegui was announced as Real Madrid’s new manager after Zinedine Zidane’s surprise resignation. The Spanish FA acted fast, firing Lopetegui and bringing in Fernando Hierro, but that couldn’t stop his team from dropping points against Portugal in their Group B opener. The pulsating 3-3 draw was also notable for a huge gaffe by Manchester United’s David de Gea.
It was the sort of error that fans of the club simply aren’t used to seeing from the Spaniard, coming as it did from a relatively tame Cristiano Ronaldo shot that squirmed through De Gea’s body. United supporters have been treated to some mercurial displays from the former Atletico Madrid ‘keeper over the last 5 years, however, and it would take a lot more errors of that ilk to shift the popular perception of De Gea’s status of the best goalie in world football.
United and Jose Mourinho certainly seem to share that opinion, and are keen to make him the game’s best paid no.1 with a new deal worth £17.5m per year.
The report, which this time comes from Spanish outlet Marca, states that discussions between De Gea and the club began earlier this year, and all that’s required is the player’s signature for the deal to be completed.
Mourinho reportedly held discussions with the club’s hierarchy before the close of 2017 to request both money for new players and improved terms for his biggest stars, and if this news is to be believed, then United are certainly holding up their end of things. The signings of Diogo Dalot and Fred, from FC Porto and Shakhtar Donestk respectively, mark a solid start to this summer’s business; a new long-term deal for De Gea would make it a great one.
