Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho insists that David De Gea ‘wants to stay’ at Old Trafford, despite stalling on a contract extension.
The Red Devils secured a dramatic 1-0 win against Young Boys on Tuesday night in the Champions League, which secured their spot in the last 16 of the competition.
A last-gasp Marouane Fellaini strike ensured that United qualified from Group H alongside Juventus, who also posted a 1-0 home win against Valencia.
However, the game might have been quite different for Mourinho’s men had De Gea not produced one of the saves of the season late on, somehow clawing out a deflected effort which looked certain to sneak into the net.
The Spaniard has bailed his team out on numerous occasions over the course of his seven-year spell in Manchester and Mourinho acknowledged post-match just how important he is for the club going forward.
The Portuguese boss also addressed rumours that De Gea could leave the club next year, with the Manchester Evening News reporting that he has been stalling on a new deal.
“David de Gea is a world-class player,” Mourinho told reporters, as per BBC Sport Journalist Simon Stone on Twitter.
“The best goalkeeper in the world. If our ambitions are to be a winning club, you need the best goalkeeper in the world and best other players in the world. I know he wants to stay and the agent wants to do what he wants.”
United were fortunate to avoid another embarrassing result against Young Boys, having come into the match off the back of a similarly poor display against Crystal Palace on Saturday, which ultimately ended 0-0.
De Gea is one of the few players in Mourinho’s squad who can still hold his head up high at the moment and his continued presence will be vital if they are to mount a realistic challenge for a top-four finish, as well as an assault on the Champions League.