With the Manchester United takeover saga continuing to drag on, fans of the club will be hoping that that will not prevent the club from making the necessary improvements to their squad for the 2023-24 season.
A solid first season under Erik Ten Hag had some bumps along the way, but ended with the team taking third place in the league and a trophy with February's Carabao Cup final win.
Last summer's new signings were an important part of that success - particularly the tenacious Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez - but most pundits recognise that there are still several areas in which Manchester United will need to invest if they are to kick on and get to the level of their local rivals Manchester City.
READ HERE: Love Island Contestant Left Confused By Mention Of League Of Ireland Club
Their need for a new striker is painfully obvious, after the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo and underwhelming performances of Anthony Martial and Wout Weghorst, and reports have linked them with several high-profile options from across Europe.
Perhaps an even more glaring issue for Manchester United, however, is between the sticks, and it now seems as though David de Gea's departure is set to be confirmed in the coming weeks.
Manchester United mulling over goalkeeping options
There is no doubting that his excellence during a barren period for Manchester United in the mid-2010s places David de Gea as one of their best players of the modern era, but his performances have been hugely disappointing in recent years.
Many saw him as a weak point in Erik Ten Hag's game plan this season, and his weaknesses were exposed in spectacular fashion in several high-profile games.
With his contract set to expire at the end of June, fresh reports from the Mirror on Friday suggest that the Spaniard will not be signing a new deal after a disagreement on his wages, bringing an end to his 12-year spell at Old Trafford.
De Gea was not included on the list of players retained by Manchester United for next season as his contract negotations continue to drag on.
Other than a brief period in the 2020-21 season where he was usurped by Dean Henderson (who is still on the books at the club), de Gea has been the first choice at United for the best part of a decade, meaning a major change is needed, and all eyes now turn to who will replace the 32-year-old.
David de Gea in action in the 2023 Carabao Cup final (Photo: Shutterstock)
Reports in the Manchester Evening News suggest that United now have three men on their shortist: Brentford's David Raya, Inter Milan's Andre Onana, and Porto's Diogo Costa.
Raya and Costa have been persistently linked with a move to Manchester in recent weeks, with the Brentford shot stopper standing out as a prime option due to his Premier League experience, and he would be a sharp improvement on de Gea's ability with the ball at his feet.
Onana recently started for Inter Milan in the Champions League final, drawing plaudits after an impressive save from Erling Haaland in the first half. His temperament may be of concern, however, with the Cameroonian being sent home from the 2022 World Cup for disciplinary issues, and being banned for failing a drugs test in 2021.
It seems as though the last player left at Manchester United to play under Alex Ferguson is set to depart, and it will be fascinating to see who the club chooses as David de Gea's successor.
SEE ALSO: Roy Keane Produces Brilliant Dig At Alex Ferguson When Discussing Infamous Referee Incident
