Man U manager Solskjaer keen to resolve De Gea contract delay

MANCHESTER: Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer remains confident that goalkeeper David de Gea will commit his future to the club despite entering the final year of his contract.

United hoped the Spanish international would sign a new deal before the season began, but are still waiting for De Gea to put pen to paper. As it stands, the 28-year-old would be free to speak to any European clubs from January 1 and leave next summer on a free transfer.

United have reportedly offered a deal worth around 290,000 pounds-a-week ($363,000) to make De Gea the joint highest earner still at the club, alongside Paul Pogba, but still short of the 400,000 pounds-a-week Alexis Sanchez was earning at Old Trafford prior to his loan move to Inter Milan.

“I’ve obviously not been involved in all the discussions, but I’m pretty confident we’ll get this sorted,” said the Norwegian.

“David has never said anything else to me, other than that he loves this club, he wants to stay here and he’s had a fantastic time. So let’s hope we just get it over the line.”

DE GEA STRUGGLING

Protracted negotiations over De Gea’s future were offered as a reason for his poor form towards the end of last season.

He was also at fault for Patrick van Aanholt’s late winner as Crystal Palace won 2-1 at Old Trafford last month.

But the man crowned United’s Player of the Year on four occasions during his eight years in Manchester retains the backing of Solskjaer. “He has had a fantastic time here but of course whenever he concedes a goal, it’s headlines, that he should have saved it. You have to be resilient and you need to have robust confidence and he’s fine. I don’t worry about David at all.”