Erik ten Hag refuses to guarantee David de Gea number one spot

Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea will not be guaranteed the number one spot if he signs a new contract with the Red Devils, according to a report.

The Spain international was signed by the 20-time English champions to succeed the long-serving Edwin van der Sar in 2011 and has since overtaken Peter Schmeichel in the club's all-time clean sheet charts.

De Gea has recorded 188 shut-outs in 540 appearances for Man United, breaking Schmeichel's previous record of 180 in February's EFL Cup final win over Newcastle United.

However, the 32-year-old was back in the spotlight for the wrong reasons against West Ham United, who defeated the Red Devils 1-0 on Sunday thanks to another high-profile error from De Gea.

Said Benrahma's first-half strike would seemingly be tipped behind by a diving De Gea, but the ball instead struck the Spaniard's hand before trickling into the back of the net.

With that howler, De Gea has now made four errors directly leading to a goal in all competitions this season - only Tottenham Hotspur's Hugo Lloris has also made as many fatal mistakes out of all the Premier League goalkeepers in 2022-23.

De Gea's latest error has accelerated calls for the ex-Atletico Madrid man to leave the club when his contract expires this summer, but Ten Hag gave him a public vote of confidence after the game and affirmed that he wants to keep the goalkeeper at the club.

However, even if De Gea does agree to fresh terms, The Telegraph claims that the 32-year-old will receive no assurances from Ten Hag that his number one spot is safe, as the Dutchman keeps his options open.

Man United are expected to prioritise the signing of a big-money centre-forward this summer, but a new midfielder, goalkeeper and right-back could also be on the agenda if funds allow.

Brentford's David Raya and Porto's Diogo Costa are believed to be high up on the Red Devils' shortlist, which also includes Valencia's Giorgi Mamardashvili and Everton's Jordan Pickford.

De Gea has retained the number one jersey over Jack Butland and Tom Heaton with minimal difficulty this term, as Dean Henderson plies his trade on loan with Nottingham Forest.

Henderson had briefly demoted De Gea to second-choice in the 2020-21 season, but the England international is apparently heading for the exit door this summer as he searches for consistent game time elsewhere.

If De Gea ultimately gets the green light from United chiefs for a new deal, which is understood to be up in the air at the minute, the shot-stopper would have to accept a significant decrease to his £375,000 weekly salary.

De Gea's current terms include a 12-month extension option, but triggering that deal would keep him on his club-record wages, so the Red Devils are instead discussing a brand-new contract with a slashed basic wage, which could be bumped up through performance-related add-ons.

Man United's loss at West Ham was their second successive defeat in the Premier League following a 1-0 reverse at Brighton & Hove Albion, leaving Ten Hag's men fourth in the table and one point clear of Liverpool, who have played a game more.