David De Gea, SpainGetty

Strachan: De Gea not getting job satisfaction at Man Utd... he should be able to leave

Former Manchester United midfielder Gordon Strachan has counselled David de Gea to leave Old Trafford.

The ex-Scotland boss does not believe that Spain international can be happy with the Red Devils, where his recent form has been questioned after a poor 2018 World Cup with Spain.

De Gea has often been linked with a move to Real Madrid, but Los Blancos’ signing of Thibault Courtois in the summer seems to have stymied that prospect for the moment.

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Nevertheless, manager Jose Mourinho is "not confident" of the player's long-term future at the club. 

His contract has less than a year to run, but while United have the option to extend it automatically by a further 12 months until June 2020, Strachan does not believe the goalkeeper should hang around for so long.

“I think he's way past the stage of worrying about money. I think what you need now is job satisfaction and as a goalie he's got another 10 years in it,” Strachan told Sky Sports. “I think he wants to go and be in the top games, the Champions League, cup finals, winning leagues. That's what he's after.

“I think the problem United are having just now is because they are not up there with the top clubs in Europe.

“They are one of the top clubs, but not one of the top teams at the moment - he'll go back to the Spanish squad and he's got the guys from Real Madrid in the Champions League final, Barcelona, they are winning leagues. He's not winning leagues anymore.”

Strachan believes there will be a gaggle of clubs vying for his services.

“He deserves the right to choose where he goes and he'll have a few clubs after him,” he said. “But he deserves it after a sticky start where young players can crumble going to Manchester United, we've seen it before - they crumble, they disappear and we don't see them again.

“He dealt with it, physically got better but mentally got stronger. Over the last couple of years, I'm sure he's had approaches and he's dealt with it in the right way. OK, it takes you a little while to get over a knock-back if you really want to go to Barcelona or Real Madrid or wherever it is, but he's dealt with it, he's got on with it.

“He's been a great team-mate and a great servant for the club, so I think it's right that he decides where he wants to go.”

De Gea, who has been tight-lipped over his future, has won the Premier League title with United, back in the 2012-13 season, one FA Cup, a League Cup and the 2016-17 Europa League.

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