Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to have a real headache ahead of him with regards to selecting his first choice goalkeeper for next season.
David de Gea had another unconvincing game against Tottenham on Friday, with his blunder leading to Spurs’ opening goal by Steven Bergwijn in a 1-1 draw.
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This is not the first time in recent history that De Gea has made a glaring error leading to a goal, and Red Devils legend Gary Neville now believes this big drop in form may well be permanent.
Speaking on his podcast on Sky Sports, Neville said it seems like the Spanish shot-stopper’s confidence has been majorly affected by being booed by his own fans at international level.
“He was the one player United could rely upon for the last four years but he’s not the same,” Neville said of De Gea.
“He hasn’t been the same for some time. When form drops for six months it’s a blip but when it goes on for a year you start to worry. When it goes over two years it becomes more permanent.
“That is now a fair representation of what De Gea is as he’s making lots of mistakes. Ones he would never make – he was always somebody you could completely rely upon. It can only be a confidence thing. The arms, legs and body are the same – it’s got to be the mind.
“The reception he’s got in Spain has affected him. He’s even been booed by Spanish fans when he’s wearing the Spanish shirt. In the World Cup in 2018 he really struggled and from that he’s doubted himself. Mentally he’s not quite the same.”
As noted by the Sky Sports report, United manager Solskjaer also has promising young ‘keeper Dean Henderson as a potential option after his impressive form on loan at Sheffield United.
Henderson may well be an upgrade on De Gea, though it won’t be easy for the Norwegian tactician to drop such a big name for an inexperienced and less proven young player.