Manchester United are hoping to ‘agree a longer contract’ with David De Gea if the Old Trafford favourite is willing to take a pay cut, respected journalist Fabrizio Romano has told GiveMeSport.

The goalkeeper has been on the Red Devils’ books since completing an £18.9million move from Atletico Madrid more than a decade ago, but there is ongoing uncertainty over his long-term future.

Man United contract news – David De Gea

According to The Times, Manchester United are in talks with De Gea over a new contract after opting against taking advantage of an option to extend his current deal by 12 months.

The report suggests discussions over fresh terms have been positive and the Spaniard could accept a reduced salary if he puts pen-to-paper.

De Gea is set to enter the final six months of his £375,000-per-week deal at the turn of the year, when he could sign a pre-contract agreement with an overseas club.

Transfer insider Dean Jones previously told GiveMeSport that Manchester United will not sign a new first-choice goalkeeper during the January window if the 32-year-old fails to move onto pastures new.

Although De Gea’s contract has not been extended, the Red Devils have triggered one-year options written into Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw, Diogo Dalot and Fred’s respective deals.

Read more: January Transfer Window 2023: When Does It Begin, Rumours and Everything You Need To Know

What has Fabrizio Romano said about De Gea?

Romano understands that Manchester United are biding their time and hoping to convince De Gea to take a pay cut.

The transfer guru believes the Red Devils remain keen to tie the shot-stopper down to fresh terms at Old Trafford.

Romano told GiveMeSport: “With David De Gea, there are now conversations. Manchester United decided to wait a bit and discuss with the player instead of triggering the option because of the salary.

“They hope they can agree a longer contract but with a different salary, so this is why they’re discussing with the player.”

Does De Gea deserve a new contract at Man United?

De Gea has been one of the first names on the Manchester United team-sheet for a prolonged period and, according to Transfermarkt, he has now made 507 appearances.

He has remained an important figure under ten Hag, failing to miss a single minute of Premier League or European action since the campaign got underway.

Sofascore statistics show De Gea has made 38 saves in the top flight and kept five clean sheets in the process, underlining that it would be a mistake to move onto an alternative option.

The 45-cap Spain international has also previously insisted that Manchester United ‘is my club’ and he wants to break records by remaining with his current employers.

That demonstrates that De Gea has no interest in moving onto pastures new, so the Red Devils should look to come to an agreement over a new contract as quickly as possible.