Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea signed a new long term contract, which will let him stay at the club till June 2023. The club also stated that he has an option to extend the tenure by a year. 

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Most important player

David De Gea joined the club in 2011 from Atletico Madrid and has since been one of the most consistent performers for the club, rising to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world. With 102 clean sheets, he has kept the most number of clean sheets since August 2011. He has been a part of the Premier League Team of the Year on five occasions. De Gea has won four major trophies with Manchester United - Premier League, the FA Cup, the League Cup, the UEFA Europa League and the Community Shield.

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Dwindling fortunes

Since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, Manchester United have lost their shine and are no longer seen as a dangerous and ruthless opposition they once were. The ex-great club has sacked three managers and has managed to finish in the top four on just two occasions in the six years. Consequently, they are rumoured to have spent £968 million on player signings in a desperate measure to get back to the levels they once were. However, the club is still struggling to find it's feet and regain its identity in English football. Securing the services of the Spanish goalkeeper for another four years will provide a sigh of relief for everyone associated with the club, especially the fans, who have been yearning for some concrete results for a long time.

The club almost lost De Gea to Spanish club Real Madrid during the 2015 summer transfer window. However, the deal fell through at the time because of an 'apparent failure of a fax machine'. However, both clubs issued statements claiming that they did everything they could to complete the transfer, but the other club did not follow and expedite the process.

On securing the extension, De Gea said, “It has been a privilege to spend eight years at this great club and the opportunity to continue my career at Manchester United is a genuine honour. Since I arrived here, I could never have imagined I would play over 350 games for this club. Now my future is fixed, all I want is to help this team achieve what I believe we can and win trophies again, together. I am committed to continue repaying the fans for all of the care that they’ve shown me during the good times and the bad”. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær said, “I am delighted that David has committed his long-term future to the club. Over recent years, David has proved himself to be the best in the world and a vital part of our plans as we look to take Manchester United back to where it belongs. David is a fantastic person and his outstanding quality provides the perfect base to our defence."

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