Despite the fact that David De Gea’s contract at Manchester United has expired, he has been sensationally requested not to join another team.

In essence, the Red Devils are pleading with the player to remain in case they are unable to replace him within their transfer budget.

Already, the 32-year-old had to accept a pay cut from £375,000 to £200,000.

When it became evident that manager Erik ten Hag was seeking elsewhere, even that offer was withdrawn.

However, a constrained transfer budget and the need to sign a new striker are impeding that hunt.

David De Gea’s contract is set to expire, but Man Utd stated that talks with the seasoned goalkeeper are still ongoing.

With the £55 million acquisition of Mason Mount this week, the Red Devils made their first acquisition of the summer.

Due to financial fair play regulations, it has consumed almost half of the £120 million they had available for players this summer.

Because Tottenham demanded £100 million, they had to end all negotiations to sign Harry Kane.

Victor Osimhen, a target of Napoli, is also out of their price range because the 24-year-old Nigerian forward man is wanted by the Italian Serie A champions for £150 million.

United had to halt negotiations to sign Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana for £40 million because a striker is now their top priority.

In order to improve their transfer budget and end the problem, United is desperate to raise money through sales.

On the weekend of his wedding to his longtime partner Edurne Garcia, De Gea has been left in limbo the entire time.

De Gea, 32, broke the previous mark for a goalkeeper established by legend Alex Stepney, who won the European Cup in 1968, by making 545 appearances.

In addition, he broke Peter Schmeichel’s club record for shutouts as he recorded his 181st one to commemorate the Carabao Cup victory in February.

On that particular day, the Spaniard was at his very best, holding off Newcastle as Manchester United won their first trophy in six years.

After 17 Premier League clean sheets, he also won the Golden Glove award at the end of the season. He has won it twice after keeping 18 in 2017–18.

From 2013 through 2016, he won the award three years in a row for the team, which perhaps says as much about the club’s struggles at the time as it does about his prowess in goal.

Early in his career, after being acquired by Old Trafford from Atletico Madrid, it didn’t appear likely that he would make even 45 appearances, much less 545.

Sir Alex Ferguson had to give him a break because the physicality of the English game seemed to overwhelm him.

However, he put his trust in the young Spaniard who called his critics “idiots,” and that trust was rewarded.

The issue is that his impressive personal achievements have never been recognized by the honors board.

A single championship, one FA Cup, and two League Cups.

He did not participate in the final but holds a Europa League medal from the 2016–17 season.

In fact, it was his performance in the 2020–21 final that caused him to lose a lot of favor with a United fan base that was growing increasingly disenchanted with the team’s recent string of failures.

In the shootout, he missed one of Villarreal’s 11 penalties, and his own mediocre attempt as the goalkeepers were summoned forward to take a shot was saved, giving the Spanish team the victory.

Not least last season when United lost to Sevilla in the Europa League elimination round, high profile errors started to creep into his play.

In a game that was shifting, his poor distribution from the back was a developing worry.

You could see the writing on the wall when boss Ten Hag stated that was something that needed to be addressed after their 2-1 FA Cup Final loss to Manchester City in May.