DAVID DE GEA is set to quit Manchester United after being benched in favour of Dean Henderson.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer kept faith with the former Sheffield United loanee for the 2-1 comeback victory over Brighton at Old Trafford on Sunday night.
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De Gea was back and available for selection after being given time off for the birth of his first child and spending the international break on duty with Spain.
But the man who has been named United player of the year more times than anyone else looks to be in a dog-fight for the No1 jersey and could bring the curtain down on a decade at the Red Devils.
Club legend Rio Ferdinand does not think his old team-mate De Gea will hang around to be back-up to the 24-year-old.
The former centre-back told BT Sport: “If Dean Henderson finishes this season as the No1 then David de Gea will be doing all he can to get out of this football club, I’m sure.
“He loves it at Man Utd, he lives and breathes this football club, he has done since he’s been here.
“But I don’t see him staying here and saying, ‘right, Dean Henderson has the shirt, I’m going to sit and wait’. No chance, I don’t see it, he’s going to want to go.”
SunSport takes a look at some of the clubs linked with a swoop for the 30-year-old keeper.
Real Madrid
De Gea has regularly been linked with a move to Real Madrid over the years.
If it wasn’t for a faulty fax machine a deal would have got over the line in 2015.
Zinedine Zidane has made no secret of the fact he is not fully trusting of former Chelsea man Thibaut Courtois in the Madrid goal.
And De Gea is likely to be keen on a return to his native Spain and the city where he was born.
PSG
SunSport revealed last month that Mauricio Pochettino is keen on bringing De Gea to Paris Saint-Germain.
PSG are one of the few clubs around who could pick up De Gea’s £375,000-a-week wages AND offer a fee to interest United.
Former Spurs boss Pochettino is looking for a new No 1 to replace former Real Madrid stopper Kaylor Navas.
Poch has been linked with his old Spurs and France international keeper Hugo Lloris for some time but De Gea has been on PSG’s radar just as long.
He has just been unavailable – until now.
Barcelona
Barcelona are another side mentioned with De Gea’s name and could come to the fore if he sets his sights on a move back to Spain.
However, the Catalan giants are feeling the pinch amid the pandemic and may not have the funds required to pick up the keeper’s large wage bill.
Blaugrana No1 Marc-Andre ter Stegen also penned a lengthy new deal until 2025 in October.
Atletico Madrid
De Gea starred for Atletico Madrid from 2003 until joining United in 2011 and could make a sensational return to the club.
But if he is to play under Diego Simeone at the Wanda Metropolitano then highly rated No1 Jan Oblak is likely to have to make a huge move elsewhere.
De Gea would welcome a move to his old side for family reasons with wife and new mum Edurne working as a TV reporter in Madrid.
AC Milan
AC Milan could offer De Gea a new home – especially if they lose keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma in the summer.
The Italian has been linked with a free transfer as he enters the last few months of his contract with agent Mino Raiola demanding a bumper £9m-a-season new deal.
Chelsea are said to be interested in the shot-stopper and received a boost with Milan’s negotiations reportedly hitting difficulties last week.
De Gea would also team up with old pal Zlatan Ibrahimovic after the former United striker signed a one-year extension at the San Siro.
