David De Gea Manchester United Contract: Goalkeeper Will Only Sign New Deal If Release Clause Is Included

David De Gea has reportedly told Manchester United that he will only sign a new contract at Old Trafford if a specific release clause is included.

According to the Spanish newspaper AS, via Metro, the Spanish goalkeeper will only extend his stay at Manchester United if they include a release clause worth £22.2 million ($34.20 million).

This is a far cry from the £48 million ($74 million) release clause that Manchester United want to include in the contract to scare away potential offers.

And United will believe that De Gea’s value has risen exponentially since he completed his £17.8 million ($27.42 million) transfer to United from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2011.

Another factor for Manchester United to contend with during these negotiations is that De Gea’s current contract with the Red Devils only has 16 months left to run. This means that if Manchester United are unable to agree a new deal with De Gea soon, he will be able to negotiate offers from other clubs in January 2016, which could then see him transfer to them for free in the summer of 2016.

The 24-year-old is now widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League, and over the last 18 months, he has solidified himself as Manchester United’s star player.

In fact, during this period, Manchester United’s defence has deteriorated rapidly, and De Gea’s stand-out performances have saved numerous points for the club. Losing him at all would be seen as a huge blow, while losing him on a free would be looked at as monumental failure.

However, De Gea has been repeatedly linked with a transfer to Real Madrid over the last few months, and this latest rumor is only going to increase speculation that he might ultimately move to the Bernabeu.

David De Gea was born in Madrid, and despite the fact that he previously played for Atletico Madrid, Real allegedly believe that he is the perfect candidate to replace Iker Casillas as the club’s long-term number one.

Meanwhile, it has also been alleged that De Gea would also be hugely interested in joining Real Madrid, especially as United’s form since Sir Alex Ferguson resigned at the end of the 2013 season has been patchy to say the least.

And if his contract did include such a paltry release clause, then numerous other clubs would be lining up alongside Real Madrid to offer De Gea a deal.

[Image via Wallpaper HD]