Should we sell David De Gea?

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Nou_Camp99

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It could be time for DDG to go imo. He's been better recently but for the last couple of seasons he's been very inconsistent. Lots of mistakes and costing us points. Not for a minute saying he's a bad keeper - still one of the best on his day, but his day seems less and less frequent. We sell him now while his stock is still high, Henderson is a ready-made replacement and invest the money in other areas of the team. As someone said, with DDG money as well as Pogba money all of a sudden we have the funds to really strengthen.
Nobody is going to buy DDG. His wages would be a huge issue coupled with the sizeable transfer fee we'd want. He's going to leave us at the end of his current deal on a free is my guess.
 

sullydnl

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100% we should in my opinion, although I've been saying this for years.
He is so below par at vitally important aspects of goalkeeping that, in my opinion, it doesn't matter how good a shot stopper he is (even that is debatable now anyway) that it simply doesn't compensate overall.

Only problem is, last summer was the time to have this debate, as many of us tried to (but got told we were either deluded or had a personal vendetta against the lad), it's too late now, there is simply no way any other team would be incompetent enough to pay him the sort of wages we are.
As someone else previously said, this ship has sailed, we're stuck with him now for the next 5 years no matter how bad he plays.
If you've been saying we should sell De Gea "for years" then it's no surprise that people called you deluded. He was our player of the year and the PL's goalkeeper of the year the season before last, off the back of a frankly ludicrous season.
 

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He'd take a wagecut to go somewhere that's competing for the league or the CL.

The bigger issue is that nobody needs a keeper.
 

Kerry Donaghy

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People somehow take De Gea for granted and think that it's easy to replace him, even though he hasn't been performing like himself for 2 seasons. It's not. At least I don't expect to hear more about selling De Gea and replacing him with Romero after yesterday.

Henderson is a very good prospect, but he is not as good as De Gea was at his age and it's quite a risky bet to make him our starter now, let's not act like he's a goalkeeping equivalent of Mbappé or Sancho. There's a good chance that he'll be up to it, but we simply don't have enough evidence at the moment to make this bet. It's also a horrible time to sell De Gea as his potential transfer value is at the all-time low.
I would hardly say getting a new contract, that makes you the highest paid player in the Premier league, and constantly getting told that you're 'still unquestionably the best keeper in the world' no matter how many blunders you make, is being taken for granted.

Some of our fans genuinely baffle me sometimes.
Only at Utd could a player almost single handedly cost us a top 4 finish (as De Gea pretty much did with his series of absolute howlers last season) yet be deemed worthy of a bumper payrise and then the guy who was our best player by a mile last season, Pogba, gets booed by the fans and hounded out of the club.

Can you blame Pogba for wanting to go?

To be clear, I'm not trying to make Pogba out to be a hero, overall he's been dissapointing, but as I said, last season he was nowhere near the biggest culprit.
 

SirAF

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He'd take a wagecut to go somewhere that's competing for the league or the CL.

The bigger issue is that nobody needs a keeper.
Juventus could do with an upgrade - I‘m not sure they have the dough though!
 

Kerry Donaghy

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If you've been saying we should sell De Gea "for years" then it's no surprise that people called you deluded. He was our player of the year and the PL's goalkeeper of the year the season before last, off the back of a frankly ludicrous season.
As I said, I'm looking at the overall picture of goalkeeping and not just a highlight reel of some decent saves.
Next time we play, watch the mayhem that's inflicted upon our defence as a direct result of De Gea's reluctance to be assertive and commanding.
 

harms

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I would hardly say getting a new contract, that makes you the highest paid player in the Premier league, and constantly getting told that you're 'still unquestionably the best keeper in the world' no matter how many blunders you make, is being taken for granted.
I'm not sure how Woodward giving De Gea a new contract is relevant to the perception of De Gea by United fans?
 

poleglass red

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I'm not saying that Romero is shit and I never did. His whole career before United showed an error-prone goalkeeper who struggles to be consistent week in and week out. He has found a role that was surprisingly fitting for him and became a brilliant number 2 whose set of skills and a relative lack of ambition had made him a great fit for us. You have to consider that his very impressive clean sheet record mostly came against a hugely inferior opposition.

There were many posters who wanted to bench De Gea for Romero over the last 2 seasons. But that would be a terrible decision and even considering this is showing the underrating of what De Gea did and does for us despite his poor form.
he hasn't been error prone though, he 's 90 odd caps for Argentina. All keepers make occassional errors esp if they aren't playing regular football, look at Dea Gea's early form and recent form for us, littered with errors. I think the issue a lot of people have with De Gea is how he fits into our current team. We've 2 centre backs who lack pace, he's reluctant to come of his line and sweep up any danger behind then. Same with corners, Lindelof is poor in the air, De Gea typically stays rooted to his line. We are trying to play out from the back more and more, again this is an area that he isn't 100% comfortable with. De Gea is a very good shot stopper, as good as any keeper in world football but control of his area and being comfortable on the ball are 2 areas he's not strong in and these 2 areas are needed more and more in this high press based game we see.
 

AltiUn

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De Gea's had some good games recently, I'm more than willing to have a bit more patience to see if he can get back to his best, especially after we hired that new GK coach.
 

harms

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he hasn't been error prone though, he 's 90 odd caps for Argentina. All keepers make occassional errors esp if they aren't playing regular football, look at Dea Gea's early form and recent form for us, littered with errors. I think the issue a lot of people have with De Gea is how he fits into our current team. We've 2 centre backs who lack pace, he's reluctant to come of his line and sweep up any danger behind then. Same with corners, Lindelof is poor in the air, De Gea typically stays rooted to his line. We are trying to play out from the back more and more, again this is an area that he isn't 100% comfortable with. De Gea is a very good shot stopper, as good as any keeper in world football but control of his area and being comfortable on the ball are 2 areas he's not strong in and these 2 areas are needed more and more in this high press based game we see.
He has made plenty of mistakes for Argentina over the years and it was his inconsistency that saw him benched for Sampdoria and Monaco. Argentina has a very poor competition for the goalkeeping spot. That's not to say that he is shit — he's a decent player who has his strengths (penalties, for example); and I like him a lot and consider him a great signing for us. It's just that his weaknesses were too glaring for him to become a first choice even for a midtable club (insert an obligatory Manchester United joke), let alone for a club that is aiming to compete for big titles. Never ever ever had he been even considered to be one of the keepers in the world, which is a level that we should aspire to, and a level that De Gea is capable of reaching.
 

sullydnl

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No, he shouldn't be sold.

Henderson is doing very well but he's doing very well while playing for Sheffield United. The pressure that comes with being Manchester United's #1 is an entirely different beast, as the slew of goalkeepers who have failed here know only too well.

Last season was a nightmare for De Gea and this season (while certainly nowhere near as bad) is still some way from his best. However, he isn't particularly old, is one of the few remaining players in our squad who has actually won a major trophy and is one of the few players at the club with real stature in the game.

Maybe Henderson would instantly make the step up but maybe he wouldn't. Maybe De Gea won't find his best form again but maybe he will. Have the both of them fight it out to be #1? Fine. Sell De Gea in the assumption that Henderson won't struggle himself, risking further damage to an already struggling side? Not fine.
 

Kag

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It will be interesting to see how the club manages the De Gea/Henderson situation. Henderson looks the part but it’s difficult to truly know how he’ll do unless we given him an opportunity. But if you sell De Gea (who is still largely reliable, albeit past his best) and Henderson doesn’t perform then we’ve got a real situation on our hands.

I will say, though, that I’d be fairly ambivalent to a De Gea sale. It’s almost strange considering only a couple of years ago he was the most indispensable player in the whole squad.
 

Rauður Djöfull

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I am good either way, makes sense to cash in if possible and improve our squad which is much needed. Surely Juventus or PSG should be interested?

Than again he has acted like a pro and has served us well, really like him and he looks to be slowly getting back to his old form. I think the biggest mistake may have been to give him that huge contract
 

RedCurry

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We have a lot of good goalkeepers on our books. We should ideally be selling one at least and re-investing that in other positions.
 

Nickelodeon

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Henderson is a great prospect. But way too soon to think he can adequately replace De Gea. For all we know, he can turn out to be another Foster.
 

Fosu-Mens

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Can only think of PSG that might be interested. Wages would be a problem.

I would have been devastated a few seasons ago if DDG had left but not so much now. Given our lower net spend over the past few seasons the sales of Pogba and DDG might become a reality but finding a buyer for DDG might be difficult.
Said it during the summer that we should offload him to PSG instead of giving him a stupid contract. While he is still a world-class shot-stopper, his limitations in other parts of his game are problematic with us trying (at least people way we are) to press high with a high line and hopefully attempting to play out from the back.

Think we could end up with a Sanchez 2.0 situation.
 

11101

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Only for the right offer. Hes a reactions goalkeeper and they usually decline early into their 30s. Hes still a top keeper but if we could offload him to somewhere like PSG it might be smart business.

I can see us getting stuck with massive wages and quickly declining performances.
 

ArjenIsM3

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If we can get a decent fee for him then I would sell him and replace him with Henderson. If not, let them battle it out next season. Either way we have to get Henderson to sign a new contract but I've a feeling he'll only do that if he's made first keeper. Tough situation for the club.
 

w1thout

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The thing is no big team is in desperate need of a top keeper. PSG and Juve, maybe, but why would they want to shell out a huge sum in transfer fees and pay massive wages for a GK who was not in the best form for the past two years.

In addition, I think Sheff. will gladly take Dean on loan for another season. He will get to develop with constant play time in the top division, and we will probably see him in the Europa league, or maybe even CL with Sheff. and the club will be able to evaluate him based on a larger sample size.

By then, De Gea will have two more years on his contract, and things might look different. Who knows..
Look, I haven't been the biggest De Gea fan those last couple of seasons, but I think it's a huge risk moving him on just like this.
Come the summer, he might be the only truely WC player we have in our squad.
 

bondsname

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I love De Gea. Having him easily gave us 15 points a season a few years ago, and he will go down as a club legend, up there with Vds and Schemichel.

With that said, it's a tough business and we have Henderson proving himself out there and showing potential to become a fantastic keeper. It's a risky move, but I would without a doubt sell De Gea and give Henderson a chance. De Gea is older and kind of an old school goal keeper, we need a keeper who is more comfortable being involved in the build up. A modern keeper, and Henderson could be just that for us.

So unless De Gea accepts being second choice goalkeeper which I doubt he will, we sell him and give Henderson a shot.
 

edcunited1878

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Henderson will get at least another full season on loan to Sheffield United for the 20/21 season. Why?

DDG contract: signed w/ United until June 2023 with a one-year option
Henderson contract: signed w/ United until June 2022 with a one-year option

No rush to sell DDG. He's one of the lesser issues of the first team. Outfield positions such as the attacking line and quality depth are much more important to address than selling DDG.
 

Champagne Football

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Any offers above 25 million and we should sell. He's 29 years old and is playing well now but his form was shocking for a while. Henderson looks solid.

I hope he stays as he's an immense gk, but if we don't have CL football next season, then his heart is just not gonna be fully in it to stick around.
 

raslams

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I would rather we keep DDG next year, while Romero goes (unless he is okay playing third choice), and see how good Henderson can challenge DDG for that #1 spot. Henderson deserves a shot at United, yes. But I would rather we take the cautious route on this, as the squad is already a mess as it is.
 

sglowrider

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De Gea's distribution is terrible. He doesn't command his defence. Won't come off his line so defenders have to sit deep
True. Hasn't improved much in those areas at all.
But I think we are a season away from having this discussion. Shifting a goalie who's at 350k/week unless we give him away for next to nothing will be a tough call for Woodward.
 

Web of Bissaka

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Let's just do this.

Season 20/21
First ten games,
Henderson - 1st choice
De Gea - 2nd choice

If Dean perform convincingly, sell DDG i.e. start searching for buyers.

If he doesn't convince, keep David because might as well since his contract is heavy, and not many keepers can perform "enough" as 1st choice for this club over the years.
 

Kerry Donaghy

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he hasn't been error prone though, he 's 90 odd caps for Argentina. All keepers make occassional errors esp if they aren't playing regular football, look at Dea Gea's early form and recent form for us, littered with errors. I think the issue a lot of people have with De Gea is how he fits into our current team. We've 2 centre backs who lack pace, he's reluctant to come of his line and sweep up any danger behind then. Same with corners, Lindelof is poor in the air, De Gea typically stays rooted to his line. We are trying to play out from the back more and more, again this is an area that he isn't 100% comfortable with. De Gea is a very good shot stopper, as good as any keeper in world football but control of his area and being comfortable on the ball are 2 areas he's not strong in and these 2 areas are needed more and more in this high press based game we see.
Spot on, brilliant post.
 

Bilbo

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No - because Ben Foster looked like the real deal at one point. Henderson looks a prospect but not yet a sure thing
 

flappyjay

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The time to sell De gea was last summer. Now it's going to be hard unless you take a huge hit on the transfer fee. Also worst case scenario what if Henderson fails at United?
 

izec

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The time to sell De gea was last summer. Now it's going to be hard unless you take a huge hit on the transfer fee. Also worst case scenario what if Henderson fails at United?
What if we keep De Gea and he plays ok and Henderson turns out to be one of the best keepers around at another club?
We got guys that get paid millions per year to make these decisions. But seeing the decisions we made the last 7 years, i can tell you how this will go.

Fergie would know what to do
 

C'est Moi Cantona

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Maybe we need to show a bit of loyalty to DDG, I know for different reasons, but he has stuck with us in our era of greatest need, and things would have been a whole lot worse if he hadn't, plus he's still a whole lot better than many keepers out there.

The smart move would be to insert a realistic buy back clause in any Henderson sale, even it means selling him for less than he's worth.
 

Kerry Donaghy

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I'm not sure how Woodward giving De Gea a new contract is relevant to the perception of De Gea by United fans?
The op said people somehow take De Gea for granted'.

Now you can say what you like about Woodward and Ole but they are, factually, still human beings.
 

Kerry Donaghy

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Maybe we need to show a bit of loyalty to DDG, I know for different reasons, but he has stuck with us in our era of greatest need, and things would have been a whole lot worse if he hadn't, plus he's still a whole lot better than many keepers out there.

The smart move would be to insert a realistic buy back clause in any Henderson sale, even it means selling him for less than he's worth.
We've just made him the highest paid player in the Premier league, on the back of him having an absolute shambles of a season, how much more loyalty are we talking about here?

£1,000,000 a week?
 

C'est Moi Cantona

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We've just made him the highest paid player in the Premier league, on the back of him having an absolute shambles of a season, how much more loyalty are we talking about here?

£1,000,000 a week?
Clearly I was talking about standing by him during his current deal, as you say the club have only just deemed him fit to be given such a contract, so to then ask for him to be sold on the back of Henderson looking half decent seems a bit far fetched to me.
 

Sandikan

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It will be interesting to see how the club manages the De Gea/Henderson situation. Henderson looks the part but it’s difficult to truly know how he’ll do unless we given him an opportunity. But if you sell De Gea (who is still largely reliable, albeit past his best) and Henderson doesn’t perform then we’ve got a real situation on our hands.

I will say, though, that I’d be fairly ambivalent to a De Gea sale. It’s almost strange considering only a couple of years ago he was the most indispensable player in the whole squad.
The only wise decision with Henderson is to loan him out again next year, as there's no way he'll displace a guy we've just given such an insane contract to.
Another season as a regular in the Premier league is ideal for his development, then let's see what the state of play is in summer 2021.
 

TMDaines

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He should have been allowed to leave for a free & not offered the new contract he recently signed, so if there was a buyer I'd vote to sell for any reasonable fee. I don't believe there would be a buyer, there didn't seem to be anyone keen during the duration of his last 5 year contract that he ran down, even when he could have been got relatively cheaply with only 12 months left.

Viewed in isolation, just as a shot stopper, obviously he's generally been very good & excellent at times. That's ignoring the end of last season when he cost the team plenty of points with his mistakes & his decent but not great performances this season.

Viewed as part of the defence overall he's just about average: when in form his shot stopping is excellent, but his kicking is average or below, he's very passive/doesn't command his area/defence at all (I can rarely remember him punching/catching a corner & very rarely any cross when he's challenged) & he's below par at penalties.

It would be interesting to see what some of the experienced defenders who've left the club would say about playing in front of him: Vidic, Evans or Rio. I have a feeling his passivity is responsible for a lot of the panic in the defence & the goals conceded from set pieces.
I'm a critic of De Gea and think you've been a tad harsh, but I do think he's an average PL goalkeeper nowadays rather anything close to world class. It's disappointing he's never improved on his obvious weaknesses, but that's why he's probably still at United.
 
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