Eric Ten Hag had doubts about De Gea from his first day in charge of Manchester United, but by the end of last season that doubt had reached the point of no return. When Ten Hag took over last summer, he felt he inherited bigger problems than the goalkeeper, who was not very comfortable with the ball at his feet and instead spent his transfer budget on centre-backs, left-backs and midfielders. and a winger.
Earlier this year, when Ten Hag sat down with football director John Murto to decide how to spend his money this summer, the prevailing view was that he could continue as the number one goalkeeper with De Gea. But then he changed his mind.
Mistakes against Sevilla, West Ham United and Manchester City in the FA Cup final made Ten Hag realise it was time for a change. Eventually, De Gea announced his withdrawal on Saturday, but only later realized that his role would be greatly reduced if he stayed. The club released a statement shortly after De Gea's social media post, in which Murto said De Gea would "leave United with the deepest respect and warmest appreciation from everyone associated with the club". But Tenhag will breathe a sigh of relief because of his departure.
If he gets his wish, Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana will take De Gea's place, although there is still a compromise on the transfer fee. United are looking for other targets, while Dean Henderson, who returned on loan from Nottingham Forest, is also under consideration, but Onana is Tenhag's first choice, having worked with Ajax.
Ahead of the Champions League final, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola stressed that Onana is one of Inter's most dangerous players because he can play in many positions. During the match in Istanbul, the Cameroon international walked to the midfield with the ball at his feet. For all of De Gea's attributes, especially his ability as a reflective goalkeeper, it's something he's never mastered. For the same reason, he was abandoned before the European Championship by former Spanish coach Luis Enrique, who did not even make the squad for the World Cup in Qatar.
De Gea said on Saturday that it was "time for a new challenge", but the question was where? Since Real Madrid desperately tried to sign him from Manchester United in the summer of 2015, transfers have come to a halt, and even now that he is a free agent, few top clubs will answer the phone. Most managers in Europe would agree with Tenhag.
Earlier last season, Ten Hag and Murto decided they would not automatically extend De Gea's weekly contract worth around £375,000 for a year, instead hoping to negotiate a longer pay cut. Talks were positive and at one point close to a deal – although United insisted no formal contract offer was ever made – but with De Gea struggling during April and May, Ten Hag is even more convinced that even with a limited number of players, the new goalkeeper will have to be a priority in the transfer window due to financial fair play constraints and summer budgets.
De Gea made a terrible mistake against West Ham United, allowing Saeed Ben Lahema's narrow shot to slip through his fingers, but his performance in the Europa League against Sevilla highlighted bigger problems. The ball at his feet was blocked on both occasions and United lost 3-0. After West Ham United and Sevilla, Ten Hag defended his goalkeeper from public criticism, but changed tone after losing to Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
"Let's put it this way, we're in the right direction," he said. "But there are some situations and problems in the game and if we want to take the next step and win the trophy, we definitely have to improve."
Although De Gea's career at Manchester United came to an abrupt end, he will eventually be remembered as a club legend. With 545 appearances, he ranks seventh on the all-time list, and he won the Player of the Year award four times in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018, behind Cristiano Ronaldo. In 2013, he was part of the last Manchester United team under Sir Alex Ferguson to win the Premier League title and in February surpassed Peter Schmeichel's record for the most clean sheets in Manchester United's history. He kept 17 clean sheets in the Premier League last season, winning his second Golden Glove award.
De Gea left without any fanfare after his final game at Old Trafford, which was somewhat unfortunate as at the time he still believed he would return next season. Even Bruno Fernandez said in his farewell message posted on social media that De Gea "deserves to say goodbye on the pitch and all the fans cheer for your good memories".
Many fans will agree with Fernandes that this is the sad end to the great Manchester United career, but most will also agree with Ten Haag that it's time to move on.
Article source: 68 Sports