Man Utd urged to consider shock move for Chelsea star as De Gea replacement amid serious wage issue

Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea is rumoured to be leaving the club at the end of the season, after they fell short of meeting his contract demands. 

Now, Erik Ten Hag will have to look for replacement options and former Red Devils striker Louis Saha believes they should be looking at Chelsea’s Edouard Mendy as a potential option. Like De Gea, the Senegal international’s future is up in the air at the moment, with a good chance that Chelsea could sell him at the end of the season.

As mentioned, negotiations have stalled between United and De Gea as a result of a ‘new rule’ Ten Hag has introduced.

This is that no player can have a wage over £200,000 a week, which given the Spanish keeper is currently on a wage of £375,000, would mean he would have to take a massive pay cut of almost 50 per cent.

Even though De Gea is reportedly keen to stay in Manchester, he is unlikely to accept such a heavily reduced proposal. Also, at 32 years old, perhaps United should be looking for a more long-term option.

He has also put in the odd dodgy performance this season, with his most recent blunder coming against Everton in the FA Cup where he let a ball through his legs after a cross, leaving an open goal for Conor Coady.

It is believed that Ten Hag also has reservations about his ability to play out from the back, something which has become increasingly important in the Premier League. Although, it is worth noting that Mendy isn’t great with the ball at his feet either.

Saha backs Mendy to become solid replacement for De Gea

Nevertheless, former United centre-forward and TV pundit Saha claims that Mendy could be a great option for next season, despite still rating De Gea highly.

In a recent interview, via the Express, he said: “De Gea is still right at the top level, but of course making mistakes like he did against Everton is never good.

“Over the years, De Gea has done tremendous performances to save the team and he deserves the time and credit for that.

“If De Gea doesn’t sign a new contract then a move for Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy would make perfect sense. He has been one of the best goalkeepers in the world the last few years and I’m not sure what happened.”

Indeed, overall, Mendy has been fantastic for Chelsea since joining the London club in 2020.

A serial trophy winner, the Senegalese keeper was key in the Blues’ 2021 Champions League victory, as well as lifting one FA Cup, a UEFA Super Cup and a FIFA Club World Cup under Thomas Tuchel.

Mendy also won the FIFA Men’s Best Goalkeeper Award in 2021, showing how impressive he was in that period.

However, since Graham Potter’s arrival at Stamford Bridge, he has found himself struggling for consistent playing time. This season, he has made just eight starts out of a possible 17, after seemingly falling behind Kepa Arrizabelaga in the pecking order.

As reported by TEAMtalk, Mendy was also left ‘insulted’ by the fact that Chelsea had refused to match Kepa’s salary with their most recent contract offer.

Reportedly, the keeper earns approximately £100,000 a week, while Kepa’s contract is worth nearly double that figure.

Even with United’s new ‘rules’ there would be scope to meet his demands and still save a lot of money if they get De Gea off the books. So in that sense, Saha has made a logical suggestion and it’s certainly something for Ten Hag to ponder.

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