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What are David de Gea's options ahead of a potential summer exit?

David de Gea's time at Manchester United looks to be coming to an end this summer with Dean Henderson appearing to come out on top in their battle for the No 1 shirt at Old Trafford.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer cast further doubt over the Spaniard's future by deciding to stick with Henderson in goal for the club's 2-1 win over Brighton at the weekend – the Englishman's seventh start in a row. 

De Gea, 30, was once considered as one of the best goalkeepers in the world not too long ago but a series of mistakes and poor performances have seen him fall out of favour under Solskjaer.

The writing is now on the wall and will see United offer him up to Europe's elite this summer. 

De Gea still has two years left to run on his current £375,000-a-week contract and now would be the ideal time for United to cash in on the former Atletico Madrid man.

But where will he end up should he leave Old Trafford at the end of the season?

Sportsmail looks at the potential landing spots for De Gea.  

Real Madrid

When De Gea was at the peak of his powers, Real Madrid were heavily linked with a move for Spain's No 1 and were within minutes of finalising a move for him back in 2015.

However, the switch famously never materialised due to a faulty fax machine which saw Real sign Thibaut Courtois from Chelsea two years later instead.

Sportsmail understands that Real are likely to be interested again at the right price, with United wanting around £50million for him.

While a return to the city where he was born would prove to be an enticing prospect, shifting Courtois may proved to be another problem for Real.

Courtois is two years younger than De Gea and has made the No 1 spot his since leaving Chelsea in a £35m move.

Probability of a move: 6/10 

Atletico Madrid

Having risen through the ranks at Atletico Madrid, a sensational return could certainly be on the cards.

De Gea was sold to United in 2011 for £18.9m and has been linked with a move back in recent years.

Should he become available, Atletico may consider re-signing him but, like Real, already have a well-established top keeper at the club.

Jan Oblak is one of the world's best goalkeepers and would likely be sold on as a result if De Gea did make a return to the Spanish capital.

Oblak, who also has two years left on his lucrative contract at the Wanda Metropolitano, has been linked with a move to the Premier League but has a mammoth £103m release clause over his head.

Should Oblak leave, though, then De Gea will be free to move back to his native Spain to be closer to his wife and new mum Edurne, who works as a TV reporter in Madrid. 

Probability of a move: 8/10 

Barcelona

Barcelona are another Spanish club that have been linked with De Gea in the past and may have considered a move before the Covid pandemic rocked the world of football.

Question marks over Marc-Andre ter Stegen's future last year also saw an opportunity for the Catalan giants to cash in on the German and find a replacement.

But not long after being linked with the Nou Camp exit, ter Stegen put pen to paper on a new four-and-a-half-year deal back in November, seeing him commit his future to Barcelona until 2025.

While a move back to Spain appears to be quite likely, a battle for a No 1 jersey with one of the world's best is not.

Add to the fact that Barcelona are believed to be carrying debts in the excess of more than £1billion, leaving a big-money move for a second-choice keeper highly unlikely.  

Probability of a move: 2/10 

PSG

Another European giant that could be ready to throw their hat into the ring for De Gea is Paris Saint-Germain.

Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly keen on signing a new goalkeeper this summer to replace the 34-year-old Keylor Navas.

While Navas is one of the world's finest shotstoppers on his day, Pochettino seemingly wants to replace the Costa Rican and has targeted a move for De Gea once the window reopens.

PSG are one of the few clubs in Europe that will be able to afford De Gea's huge £375,000-a-week wages – the highest in the Premier League – and would also be able to stump up a significant transfer fee to tempt United to sell.

Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who is out of contract next summer, has previously been linked with PSG, but the French club may now focus on a move for de Gea instead.

The only issue for De Gea would be the distance from his family but the right offer from the Parisian side may be too difficult to turn down. 

Probability of a move: 7/10 

AC Milan

AC Milan could be forced to sign a new goalkeeper should Gianluigi Donnarumma choose not to renew terms with the Italian side.

Donnarumma only had three months left on his current deal and, despite months of discussions to remain at the San Siro, there has been no resolution between Milan and the goalkeeper's agent, Mino Raiola.

His exit would spark a frantic search for a top replacement and De Gea could prove to be the ideal candidate.

De Gea's wages may prove to be a stumbling block but a guaranteed starting spot could be enticing.

Probability of a move: 6/10 

Reference: Daily Mail: Sam Mcevoy For Mailonline  

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