Manchester United withdrew the offer that David de Gea had accepted, only to re-offer a contract with lower wages.
The Spanish goalkeeper, who has spent 12 seasons with United, is in the final week of his current contract, and questions about his long-term future have been swirling for months. A decline in form and a number of errors caused United to struggle in a number of games during the second half of last season.
De Gea received a contract offer from United for about £200,000 per week, a significant decrease from the £375,000 per week he was receiving under his previous contract. De Gea is said to have chosen to sign that contract.
After De Gea agreed to the terms, United withdrew that offer, only to follow it up with a proposal for a contract that was even more drastically cut.
Ten Hag is reportedly pushing for a new first choice to be recruited regardless of whether De Gea stays since he is searching for a goalkeeper with the proper distribution and passing skills, which De Gea clearly lacks.
Although there is still a chance De Gea will decide to sign the new terms, which are not in any way awful, the player is unhappy with the way the negotiation process has been conducted. While his contract expires on Friday, no decision has been taken as of yet, and regardless of whether he is still under contract or not, he does not need to rush to make one.
However, De Gea has received other offers, particularly from Saudi Arabia. The 32-year-old was anticipated to reject offers from a league making a major push to attract high-profile players, but the position is unclear in light of United’s withdrawal of their initial offer and subsequent lesser follow-up.
If De Gea decides to move to Saudi Arabia, he might earn more money than even the conditions of his current deal at United, although no choices have been made by the player as of yet.
The club’s next No. 1 player, if they decide to sign one, would likely be Inter’s Andre Onana, with whom United has already held negotiations.
In the Champions League final loss to Manchester City, Onana, who previously worked with Ten Hag at Ajax, received high accolades for his performance. Onana is recognized as one of the best players in the world at playing out of his goal, passing the ball, and initiating attacks.
The 27-year-old has previously been referred to as a “masterful goalkeeper” by Ten Hag.
