Mourinho says De Gea was lucky to sign a new deal after error-strewn season
Jose Mourinho says under-fire Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea was ‘lucky’ to sign a new four-year deal last September.
The Spaniard is enduring a tough season after a number of high-profile errors at Old Trafford – the latest coming in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea as he failed to keep out Mason Mount’s shot in their 3-0 loss.
There have been calls for De Gea to be dropped with Dean Henderson impressing at Sheffield United on loan in this campaign. Mourinho, who worked with him for more than two years at United, feels the club offered him new terms when Europe’s elite no longer needed a new goalkeeper.
‘De Gea? I think the moment when he signed his huge contract, is the moment I don’t think United needs to pay as much as that to have him,’ Mourinho told Sky Sports, via the Mirror.
‘One or two years ago he had the world after him, in this moment, the majority of the big doors were closed.
‘The Real Madrid door is closed, they don’t need a goalkeeper after [Thibaut] Courtois. Barcelona is closed with young and fantastic [Marc-Andre] ter Stegen and Paris Saint-Germain is closed too as they signed Keylor Navas who is a very good goalkeeper.’
De Gea was on the verge a move to Madrid in 2015 before his big-money move to the Bernabeu collapsed at the last minute on Deadline Day due to a fault with a fax machine.
At the time he was considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world, but Mourinho feels there was no ‘pressure’ of a big transfer, which led to De Gea getting a ‘phenomenal’ deal.
‘I don’t see the pressure,’ he continued. ‘Who is going to pay David these numbers? (De Gea) gets a phenomenal contract in a moment where he’s a bit lucky to get it. Is he good? Yes, he’s very good.
‘David is much better on the line than coming out. I think in goal, his agility and technical level is second to none.’
The calls for De Gea to be dropped at Old Trafford were led by pundit Alan Shearer, who believes Henderson ‘has to be number one’ when he returns from his loan.
‘I think it’s time (to drop him). It keeps happening,’ he told BBC One.
‘I think you bring Henderson back when you think he’s going to be number one. He has to bring him back as number one otherwise keep him out on loan for experience, but, has that time come? Yes, I think it has.’
But De Gea, who has played 402 games for the club since arriving in 2011, received backing from his manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who insists he was mentally ready to play the game.
‘I can’t speak for David De Gea’s confidence but he is mentally very strong.
‘He knows he should save that one 100 times out of 100 but that’s football for you. I made the decision to play him and mentally he was ready for it.’
