Manchester United close to nailing elusive signature

The Spanish goalkeeper looks set for another five years at Old Trafford [Courtesy]

David de Gea is finally ready to agree a new £350,000 a week contract to give Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a boost as he battles to keep want-away Paul Pogba.

Sunday Mirror Sport can reveal that recent talks between the Old Trafford hierarchy and De Gea’s high profile agent Jorge Mendes went well and the Spanish keeper is set to put pen to paper on a five-year deal.

It will make the 28-year-old whose current £200,000 a week package only has 12 months to run the highest paid keeper in the world.

De Gea originally wanted pay parity with Alexis Sanchez who is on around £500,000 a week since his move from Arsenal.

He was also waiting to see whether Real Madrid would harden their long-standing interest in him but that has proved complicated and Bernabeu boss Zinedine Zidane has more pressing transfer targets.

Now after fresh talks between Mendes and United Solskjaer, has been told that De Gea is close to extending his eight-year stay at Old Trafford.

It’s good news for the Norwegian as United jet off to Australia for a pre-season tour with fresh doubts over whether France World Cup winner Pogba will be at the club much longer.

Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola has confirmed his client’s wish to move on with Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and former club Juventus hovering.

But Pogba will be told to put in a written transfer request which endorses the fact to the United fans that the player no longer wants to play for them.

It will then take a bid in the region of £150 million for United to reluctantly do business for someone who Solskjaer originally wanted to build a new look side around.

United kick-off their tour when they take on Perth Glory on July 13.

 

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