De Gea’s career to be saved by Liverpool legend
Robin Bairner
- 27 Nov 2023 08:00 GMT
- 3 min read
David de Gea remains without a club following his release from Manchester United in the summer, but Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard could give him a lifeline with Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq.
De Gea has been linked with various teams since leaving Man Utd in July but remains a free agent nearly five months later.
Now 33 years old, opportunities for the Spain international shot-stopper are likely to be scant and if he remains without a club for too much longer it would be unsurprising to see him announce his retirement from the game.
De Gea might have found himself questioned regularly throughout his time at Man Utd, but he won the Premier League Golden Glove for the second time last season and was named as the Red Devils’ Player of the Year on four occasions.
Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq, though, are working to ensure that De Gea, who played 545 competitive games for the Old Trafford outfit over a 12-year stint, signs up with them imminently.
De Gea wants huge contract
Wages could be a stumbling block in any deal. De Gea received a princely wage of €430,000 per week while with Manchester United, and it was the club’s refusal to match his contract demands that ultimately saw him released.
According to a report from The Sun: “De Gea is seeking a massive pay hike in order to follow other big names to the Middle East.”
Al-Ettifaq, meanwhile, are not one of Saudi Arabia’s super-funded clubs, so such a figure could prove a stretch.
It is added in the report that Saudi clubs are less likely to spend big in January after nearly €1 billion was spent on players during the summer.
Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland are the two players being targeted most intently by the Saudi Pro League, but no moves will be made for the superstar pair before the summer.
