De Gea, 32, will have his current contract expire at the end of the current campaign, and negotiations for a new one are still going on.
Although United has the opportunity to give him a one-year extension on his contract, they are hesitant to do so and want him to take a pay cut in order to stay at Old Trafford.
Even if he signs a new contract, De Gea has not been guaranteed a starting spot for the upcoming campaign, and United has been looking into their transfer market options in case he decides to depart.
As talks with De Gea continue, United has been linked to goalkeepers David Raya of Brentford, Diogo Costa of Porto, and Bart Verbruggen of Anderlecht.
If De Gea leaves the team this summer, according to The Mirror, United might also launch an approach for Everton custodian Jordan Pickford.
Pickford, 29, committed himself to the team until 2027 after he signed a new contract at Goodison Park earlier this season.
However, with Euro 2024 just over a year away, England star Pickford might try to depart if Everton drops out of the top division.
Despite being the No. 1 custodian in England, Pickford is facing competition from Aaron Ramsdale of Arsenal and Nick Pope of Newcastle for a spot in the team.
Support for Pickford from Rashford
Marcus Rashford, a striker for the United team, has praised Pickford as a “great keeper” in the past.
Rashford strongly defended Pickford after Thibaut Courtois made fun of the Everton custodian for conceding a goal against Belgium at the 2018 World Cup.
Rashford said, “I haven’t seen what (Courtois) stated, but my side of it is that he has adapted everything to the way he is, physically.
“I don’t think you can honestly say that about him. He brought himself this far.
“He’s a quality keeper, and there have been lots of top keepers who have been thought to not be quite big enough compared to other keepers – but it doesn’t really hold them back.”
De Gea’s stay at Old Trafford may be extended, according to United boss Erik ten Hag.
According to Ten Hag, “We want him to stay and we want him to prolong his contract.”
He has the most shutouts in the Premier League, so without him we wouldn’t be where we are. He therefore has all of my confidence and no reservations. This is something that will happen, but as a team, you must handle it, so you must display character, be strong, and recover.