Why Manchester United Are Better Off Without Swapping David De Gea For Marco Asensio
If reports are to be believed, Real Madrid are ready to trade Marco Asensio with Manchester United for David De Gea. Asensio has endured a start-stop career at Real, with many criticising Zinedine Zidane for not utilising him properly.
The 22-year-old is considered as one of the most sought-after talents in Europe, but since his two goals against Barcelona at the start of the season, he has found game time hard to come by under Zidane. This has led the young Spaniard to consider his options at the end of the season in order to revive his stuttering career.
Asensio is believed to be a future star at Bernabeu and so Real president Florentino Perez is not willing to let him leave the club. However, Perez could change his stance and sell him to United in exchange for De Gea. De Gea has been heavily linked with a move to Real over the past few seasons and even came close to sealing a switch to Bernabeu on transfer deadline day in August 2015.
However, the proposed deal collapsed due to the paperwork not being submitted on time. However, Madrid have retained an interest in the goalkeeper since then. The Spaniard has enjoyed another brilliant season at Old Trafford and is one of Jose Mourinho’s most important players.
De Gea still has a season left on his current contract before the option for a further 12 months can be triggered.
Mourinho knows how vital the £200,000-a-week De Gea is to his plans at United and has already confirmed that the club’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward is working hard to offer a new five-year contract to keep the goalkeeper away from the clutches of Real.
“A goalkeeper like he is and a club that wants to be better and better and better, we are not going to let that year option go away,” Mourinho was quoted by the Sun.
“Mr Woodward is not on holiday — he barely has holidays.
“Of course he’s going to try to give him a contract that keeps him here for much longer than that option that of course we are going to execute.
“I just trust the board and the work they do. I don’t negotiate players, I don’t discuss numbers and contracts.
“I just say what is obvious. Anyone of you would say the same… David is to keep.”
Mourinho’s comments suggest one thing – De Gea is a vital cog of his team and wants to keep him at Old Trafford at all costs. It is quite easy to understand as to why the United manager wants to tie the star goalkeeper to a bumper new contract.
United have improved massively since Mourinho took charge of the club in 2016. The club won three trophies (including the Community Shield) in the Portuguese’s first season at the club and De Gea has been a standout performer between the sticks under Mourinho.
Although United have endured a mixed form this season, De Gea’s form has never dipped. The 27-year-old has been a rock behind United’s defence this season and is arguably considered by many as the best goalkeeper in the world.
The shot-stopper has won the Red Devils a lot of games single-handedly and there are no reasons as to why Mourinho would want to get rid of his star man. Coming back to Asensio; the 22-year-old is very highly-rated across Europe but has found very limited opportunities at Real this term.
It is true that Mourinho is on the lookout for a midfielder in the summer in order to strengthen his squad and might be attracted to sign Asensio from Real. But given the team is stacked with a lot of youngsters, the United manager would go for experience to solidify his midfield at the end of the season.
That would mean United are miles better with De Gea in the team and should avoid any swap deal involving their star goalkeeper for Asensio. If given time and opportunities aplenty, Asensio can become a gem of a player at Real but United, to be very frank, are better off without the Spaniard.