Over the course of a hectic transfer window, clubs not only have to focus on signing new players, but also keeping the ones they already have. For Manchester United, it seems they are finally going to tie down one of their star players for the foreseeable future.

According to reports from the Telegraph, David De Gea is set to sign a contract extension with Manchester United, keeping him at Old Trafford for the long term.

The Spaniard will also be getting a well-deserved but enormous pay raise, as his salary is about to rise to around £350,000 per week. Getting him to re-sign is a wonderful bit of business for the Red Devils, who can now focus on improving other areas of the pitch.

De Gea was thought to demand a new contract that put him in the same stratosphere as the highly-paid Alexis Sanchez. United have eventually conceded to those demands.

Securing the future

He might have not had the best season last time out, but De Gea is still the gold standard when it comes to goalkeepers. 

The Spaniard had a rough start before even getting to Old Trafford, as he had to represent his country at the World Cup. They shockingly went out to hosts Russia in the Round of 16, and De Gea received an unjust amount of blame because of it. Things didn’t get much better when he joined back up with United, as the team’s early-season slump affected his confidence. These issues would rear its ugly head come the end of the campaign, as De Gea made a number of uncharacteristic errors that cost the club vital points down the final stretch. 

Thankfully, that is all now in the past, and De Gea can revert back to his old self. When he is on form, no one else in the world compares to him. United’s number one has saved them time and time again, and there’s a reason the Spaniard was player of the season in consecutive years once upon a time. 

There were some rumours he would be leaving this summer, which would’ve opened up a whole can of worms. United would’ve had to first negotiate a transfer fee with another team for De Gea, and that would’ve taken weeks. Then‍, the Red Devils would’ve had to find a replacement, and try to sign him themselves. Man United aren’t the quickest at getting these sort of deals done, and the whole ordeal could’ve wasted around a month. Considering the fact that every moment matters in such an important transfer window, that scenario could’ve really negatively impacted United. 

Promise of defensive reinforcement

De Gea would not have committed to a new deal if he didn’t feel like the club was improving this offseason, so this extension could be a sign of things to come. 

The Spaniard has been the one most hurt by the woeful defending in years past. He’s had to deal with the likes of Marcos Rojo, Ashley Young, and the “Chuckle Brothers” pairing of Phil Jones and Chris Smalling. Their inabilities at the back have made it much tougher for De Gea to get a clean sheet on any given day, which had to have been frustrating. 

There's already been one transfer that has helped reinforce the backline, and more support might be on the way. The first signing was Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who was one of the best right backs in the Premier League last season for Crystal Palace, and he can already shut down most wingers on the planet at the young age of 21. It seems fellow Englishman Harry Maguire could be joining him soon, as many believe United have agreed to terms of a deal with Leicester City for the centre-back. He’s everything you would want in a defender, as he’s got the height and strength needed while also possessing an uncanny ability on the ball. 

That pairing, with the already impressive duo of Victor Lindelöf and Luke Shaw, will definitely help out De Gea. United will be giving away less chances, and even those that do get by won’t be as clear cut as before. De Gea shouldn’t be conceding boatloads of goals anymore, which should help his confidence and get him back to the top of his game. 

Mood booster

At the very least, this news will be a much-needed boost in terms of morale. Fans are starting to get nervous ahead of the upcoming season, but knowing they’ll have De Gea for years to come will help relieve some of that stress. There’s still plenty of time left in the transfer window, and the pressure is now on the front office to build on this momentum.