David De Gea wants to become Manchester United captain after agreeing new six-year contract
De Gea was linked with a move to PSG and had one year remaining on his previous deal
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Your support makes all the difference.David De Gea has made his case to become Manchester United’s captain next season and is on the verge of signing a new contract.
United’s first-choice goalkeeper is said to have agreed a new five-year deal at Old Trafford, with the option of an additional 12 months, and wants to be the leader in the dressing room for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s new-look side.
De Gea, regarded by many as the best goalkeeper in the world, has agreed a new £375,00-a-week deal, which will be finalised and signed when the club return from their pre-season tour.
Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid were among number of clubs interested in signing the Spaniard, who’s previous contract was due to expire at the end of the coming season.
United were determined not to let him leave on a free, and now he is setting his sights on permanently wearing the armband.
“I’ve been captain for some games,” said De Gea. “It’s amazing to be captain of a club like Manchester United and defend this badge.
“It’s amazing so, of course, I’ll be really, really happy to captain,” he added. “It’s my ninth season and I feel like one of the most experienced players.
“I need to show that on the pitch and try to help the young guys know what Manchester United means and that’s important.
“We have to improve a lot. We’re Manchester United, we need to fight for trophies.
“When you put on this badge, that’s what it means – fight for everything, give your best and bring the team again to the top.”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer turned to Ashley Young, De Gea, Paul Pogba and Chris Smalling to lead the team last season and must now appoint Antonio Valencia’s successor after the former captain left when his contract expired.
In April, the manager said: “We’ll see who’s here for next season and I’ve got a couple of players in my head that could be captain. Wehad Antonio, he’s going, we’ve had Ashley, we’ve had Paul, we’ve had David, Chris has been captain, so there are players here who can be captain on the pitch.
”We just need to decide who’s the club captain. Who’s going to be the voice in and around [the place].“
De Gea added that United need to put last season’s sixth-place finish behind them and begin working to improve.
“This pre-season we’re trying to have more of the ball, to keep the ball, to build from the back, to keep control of the game,” said De Gea. “Things we didn’t have last season.
“We have to improve a lot on this. We’re working really hard this pre-season, and hopefully we can show it in the first against Chelsea that we’ve improved a lot from last season.”
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