Man Utd rocked as star man performs U-turn over new contract

Manchester United have a serious battle on their hands to keep David De Gea at the club beyond the end of his current deal.

De Gea has just one year left on his deal at Old Trafford, which he signed after a move to Real Madrid fell through in 2015.

United are almost certain to trigger an automatic one-year renewal clause in that contract, but have been dealt a blow in their hopes of keeping him beyond 2020.

De Gea himself stated that he felt “really loved” at the club in September, with manager Jose Mourinho suggesting that the Spaniard “will sign a new contract as soon as possible”.

But negotiations appear to have stalled, with the Daily Telegraph saying that talks “have reached an impasse”, with De Gea “reluctant to commit” what could be his peak years at a club not competing for major honours.

United’s struggles this season ‘have raised doubts’ in the goalkeeper’s mind as to whether the club are well-placed in that regard.

Jorge Mendes, his agent, met with United representatives on Friday to hold talks, but they are no closer to reaching an agreement.

And this is not a problem that changing managers would solve. James Ducker stresses that “even if a new manager was installed at Old Trafford, it is likely De Gea would need to see a huge uplift in United’s competitiveness for his current thinking to change”.

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