Is it time for Manchester United to sell David de Gea?

Stefan Bienkowski

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 2 min read

Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea was once heralded as the most talented shot-stopper in all of Europe, with Real Madrid supposedly desperate to sign the Spanish international. 

However, a lot has changed over the last three or four seasons and while De Gea still retains his No.1 shirt at Old Trafford his stock has fallen dramatically since then and so too has his standing in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s future plans. 

According to a report in The Sun, Man United will reassess their goalkeeping options this summer and make a decision on whether to sell De Gea or No.2 Dean Henderson. 

With Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma being linked with a move to Old Trafford this summer, the question that then needs answered is how good is De Gea and is he worth selling if Man United can get a decent price?

How good has De Gea been this season?

So far this season the Spanish goalkeeper has featured in Solskjaer’s side 28 times in all competitions, conceding 37 goals and claiming nine clean sheets in all competitions. 

In the Premier League, De Gea has faced the sixth least amount of shots out of all the English top-flight’s regular goalkeepers. However, he’s conceded more goals than all but six of them. Which suggests he’s perhaps conceding more goals than he should be. 

Indeed, when we look at how many saves De Gea has made this season we find that he’s sixth bottom of the Premier League’s goalkeepers and when it comes to the number of shots he saves his conversion rate stands at just 65% – which is actually the third worst in the division. 

By most metrics from this season’s Premier League there’s very little to suggest that De Gea is by any means one of the best performing shot stoppers in the division and, in fact, could be one of the main reasons behind Man United having the tenth best defensive record despite sitting second in the table. 

Solskjaer undoubtedly believes Man United’s defence needs some serious investment this summer and along with a new central defender and perhaps some cover on either flank, it may be pretty evident that the Old Trafford side also need to sell De Gea and find a better goalkeeper.