De Gea has always refuted the claims, pointing out he has to play the ball out with Spain. It has been suggested this could be a barrier to his status as United's No 1 going forward under Ten Hag. There has always been a perception that De Gea isn't comfortable with the ball at his feet in the same way as Liverpool's Alisson Becker or Manchester City's Ederson are. Last season, when they came eighth in Spain, it was at 35.3, higher than the United stopper. Simon's clean sheet percentage averages out at 30.6 per cent during his time with Bilbao so far, slightly less than De Gea. Ten Hag has certainly tightened United up at the back, with the signing of Lisandro Martinez a notable factor, and De Gea should keep more clean sheets this time around.Ĭosta's clean sheet percentage was double that of De Gea's last season but the caveat is that he was playing for a champion team in the Portuguese Primeira Liga, which isn't considered one of Europe's top-tier divisions. ![]() He only managed eight clean sheets in 38 league outings, which was substantially lower than in the majority of his seasons at Old Trafford. The 57 goals De Gea conceded in the league alone last season was the highest of his time with United - though that owed plenty to the shaky defence in front of him. That's despite Bilbao doing fairly well in the league - they're sixth in the table and within touching distance of the Champions League places. Simon has a healthy average of 71.9 per cent over his five seasons in LaLiga with Bilbao but that has dropped off from 74.8 last season to just 61.3 this. Costa averages 70.1 per cent in his 48 league matches for Porto, but that is at a high of 73.3 this season. There isn't too much difference with the two competitors. ![]() His shot save percentage over 11-and-a-bit seasons at United is a very respectable 72.5, according to, but that has dipped to 67.4 in 12 Premier League games in the current campaign.ĭe Gea's return in the Europa League is a far more impressive 80 per cent, however, having played all five of United's group games. The fact he has been the fans' player of the year four times and the players' player of the year four times during his time at United just underlines his importance. Simon, 25, has a contract through until 2025 with Bilbao and is likely to cost £25m or more to sign.īut would either of them actually offer an upgrade on what United already have in De Gea? Sportsmail takes a look.ĭe Gea has long been lauded for his shot-stopping abilities and it's fair to say the modern Manchester United would be even more diminished if not for his reflexes and reactions. Two potential successors to De Gea are the Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa and Athletic Bilbao's Unai Simon.Ĭosta, 23, has a long-term contract with Porto until 2026 and United would likely have to match a reported release clause of £51million. ![]() In the past, Ten Hag has relied upon keepers who are comfortable with the ball at their feet and passing the ball out from the back.ĭe Gea, 31, is also out of contract in the summer and it remains to be seen whether United offer him a renewal on the same terms of £375,000-a-week, if at all.ĭespite his long-standing service and excellence between the posts during what has been a lean period for United in terms of silverware, De Gea may have to take a significant pay reduction to stay at Old Trafford. Recent reports suggested Ten Hag still isn't entirely convinced the Spaniard is the right keeper for the system he wants United to play. David de Gea has been Manchester United's undisputed No 1 goalkeeper for over a decade - but as Erik ten Hag transforms the team, that status could soon be challenged.
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