Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is reluctant to give David De Gea any assurances that he will retain his place for the Europa League final later this month, according to a report in the print edition of The Sunday Mirror (page 66).
What is the latest news involving Manchester United?
The Spaniard has been dropped in place of Dean Henderson of late but has largely kept his starting berth for European competition, playing in every Europa League tie since the quarter-final win over Granada.
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Still, the United boss is reportedly of the mind that sentiment will not play into his thinking in what will be his first final as the club's manager, against Europa League expert Unai Emery no less.
What is the latest on David De Gea's future?
According to the report, the Spaniard is set to be sold this summer and The Daily Mail claimed last month the likes of Atletico Madrid - the club he started his career at -, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain were interested in a potential move.
When does De Gea's contract expire?
De Gea only has a contract running until June 2023, making this summer a big one for United.
Should this situation continue with a man reportedly paid up to £375k-per-week, the club would be in a nightmare position where he will enter the final year of his contract, meaning interested parties could wait a year to sign him on a free transfer.
How does De Gea compare to Henderson?
Looking at FBREF data, Henderson would appear to be a much safer pair of hands between the posts.
Indeed, the England international boasts a much higher post-shot expected goals rating (+1.6 to -0.3) with that metric judging how likely a 'keeper is to save a shot based on the quality of the chance from the attacker.
Looking at those numbers, Henderson's rating would suggest he's stopped almost two goals more than would reasonably be expected of him, while De Gea has let in almost a goal more than he should have done.
Should he start against Villarreal?
If Solskjaer does genuinely believe Henderson is a better option, as his recent run in the Premier League would suggest, he surely cannot leave him out against Villarreal.
Emery has an outstanding record in the Europa League and, with United yet to win anything under Solskjaer, the pressure is on. Sadly for De Gea, his manager has to give the team the best chance of winning a first trophy under his watch, rather than blindly sticking to the rotation policy.