Manchester United trigger David de Gea’s one-year contract extension

United's move has avoided intense speculation over the coming months around one of their most prized assets

Manchester United have triggered a clause in David de Gea‘s contract to extend his current deal by one year, taking his terms at Old Trafford until summer 2020.

Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus were monitoring De Gea’s situation as the January transfer window approached, with the possibility of poaching Spain’s No1 on a bosman deal with his contract due to run out next June.

United’s move will help avoid intense speculation over the coming months around one of their most prized assets, but the club now face a decision over whether to cash in next summer, should they fail to tie De Gea down to a long-term deal.

De Gea has won United’s player of the season award four out of the past five seasons, and showed his quality once again this week with an exceptional save against Young Boys in the Champions League with the game goalless, before a late Marouane Fellaini goal sealed their place in the last 16.

Afterwards his manager Jose Mourinho praised the save and overall performance, describing De Gea as the “best goalkeeper in the world” and suggesting he wants to stay at the club.

“He’s a world-class player,” Mourinho said. “He’s the best goalkeeper in the world, and if our ambitions are to be a big club, to be a winning club, you need the best goalkeeper in the world and you need also some other players the best in the world.

“In this case, we have the best goalkeeper in the world and I know he wants to stay,” he added. ”I know his agent is happy to do what the player wants and I also know the board wants him to stay and they are working on that. Hopefully, sooner or later they reach a good conclusion.”