BREAKING NEWS: David de Gea posts cryptic ‘yawn’ tweet as he faces Man United exit after Erik ten Hag’s uncertainty over him led to U-turn on his new contract, which expires in 56 hours.
Goalkeeper David de Gea raised eyebrows with a mysterious post on social media The Man United player’s contract will expire in just two days, or 56 hoursErik ten Hag’s uncertainty led to the club making a U-turn on a contract offer
Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea has raised eyebrows with a cryptic tweet just two days before his contract with the club expires.
The 32-year-old Spaniard has played 545 times in all competitions for the Red Devils since joining for around £19m in the summer of 2011.
He has been the first choice between the sticks for most of that time, but this season he has been criticized for a number of costly mistakes.
The Red Devils have been weighing up whether to offer him a new deal given his inconsistency and £350,000-a-week wages.
And manager Erik ten Hag’s uncertainty about keeping him as No.1 led to the club’s U-turn on his new contract, which expires in just 56 hours at the time of writing, leading to the De Gea’s apparent outburst due to the situation.
David de Gea has posted a cryptic ‘yawn’ tweet two days before his Man United deal expires
The 32-year-old goalkeeper now looks set to leave with the signing of a new contract looking unlikely
De Gea, in what appears to be a reference to the long-running contract saga, simply posted a yawning emoji on his Twitter page, perhaps suggesting he is tired of the club’s lack of action.
After half an hour of being posted, it had been retweeted over 2,500 times, quoted over 4,000 times and liked over 20,000 times.
Mail Sport revealed earlier this month that the framework for a new contract aimed at reducing De Gea’s £375,000-a-week wages had been agreed between the player and the club, but Ten Hag’s reservations about keeping his No.1 they had put the deal in jeopardy.
Reports emerged on Tuesday claiming De Gea had signed the new contract before United pulled out and then submitted an even lower offer.
The 32-year-old’s future at Old Trafford now looks more uncertain than ever with just days until he becomes a free agent.
United could still re-sign De Gea after that date, but it seems unlikely given the circumstances and the Spaniard’s apparent frustration with the club.
The likely outcome is that De Gea will leave after 12 years at United and look for a new club amid lucrative offers from the Saudi Pro League.
United have held exploratory talks over a deal for Inter Milan’s Andre Onana as a replacement, although talk of a £50m bid is said to be premature.
Coach Erik ten Hag’s uncertainty about him led to a turnaround in his new contract
Club figures met last week with Onana’s agent Albert Botines to discuss a possible move, although the final decision hinges on De Gea’s future. Onana, who started for Inter during their Champions League final defeat to Manchester City in Istanbul, played for the Ten Hag during his time with Ajax.
United have also assessed Porto attackman Diogo Costa, Brentford’s David Raya and Anderlecht’s highly-rated youngster Bart Verbruggen, who have also spoken to potential No.2s should De Gea stay at the club.
United need to sell players to fund new signings this summer and would ideally prefer to secure De Gea on a new deal rather than having to buy a replacement.
However, Ten Hag has reservations after a season in which De Gea was criticized for a series of high-profile mistakes and his competition with the ball at his feet, although he still won the Glove d Premier League gold.
The FA Cup final came last month when De Gea was blamed for Ilkay Gundogan’s crucial second goal in Manchester City’s 2-1 win over their neighbours, and was once again criticized by the his poor distribution from the back.
