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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
Speaking on Sky Sports, former Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has questioned the club’s decision to hand David de Gea a new contract.
What did he say?
The Spain international put pen to paper on a new lucrative deal to stay at Old Trafford, with reports suggesting he will be earning in the region of £350k-a-week.
However, Mourinho has now questioned the timing of the contract, and wondered whether the Red Devils truly needed to secure the 28-year-old’s long-term future with such immediacy.
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He said: “The moment where he signed his huge contract is a moment where I don’t think United needs to pay as much as that to have him. One or two years ago he had the world after him and, in this moment, where he has signed his incredible contract, I think the majority of the big doors are closed.
“Real Madrid’s door is closed – they don’t need to sign a goalkeeper after Thibaut Courtois. Barcelona’s door is closed because of the young and fantastic Marc-Andre ter Stegen. PSG is closed – they’ve just signed Keylor Navas, who is a very good goalkeeper. I don’t see United under pressure because De Gea is going to disappear. Who is going to pay him these numbers?
“He gets a phenomenal contract in a moment where he is a bit lucky to get it.”
Brutal truth
Mourinho unquestionably hits the nail on the head here with his assessment. If United had taken a step back and analysed the situation surrounding their number one goalkeeper, then they would have come to a realisation that the ball was actually in their court.
Yes, his contract was running out soon, but who would have paid that much money to sign him when most of the top European clubs already have great goalkeepers in their squads? United could have used that leverage to their advantage, and persuaded De Gea to accept their terms, rather than folding to the Spaniard’s demands.
Have his performances since the start of last season warranted such a deal? Absolutely not. The 28-year-old committed four errors directly leading to goals in the previous campaign, and has hardly set the world alight this year either. In poker terms, United blinked first, and will now be counting the cost of their lack of strategy.
