Football
Rob Dawson, Correspondent 6y

Jose Mourinho: David De Gea will be offered new Manchester United deal

MANCHESTER -- Jose Mourinho has suggested that Manchester United are ready to offer David De Gea a new contract that could keep him at the club for the rest of his career.

De Gea has a deal until 2019, with United holding an option to extend it for another season.

The goalkeeper ran his last contract down to within 12 months of expiring, almost leading to a move to Real Madrid in 2015.

Mourinho said De Gea would stay at Old Trafford until at least 2020 but also suggested the club were ready to offer the 27-year-old a new long-term deal that would keep him at United until well into his 30s.

He said: "It's obvious that we're not going to let the option disappear. A goalkeeper like he is, and obviously a club that wants to be better and better and better, we are not going to let that year option go away.

"But obviously we are going to try. [Executive vice-chairman] Mr [Ed] Woodward is not on holiday. He barely has holidays. Of course he's going to try to give him a contract that keeps him here for much longer than that option that of course we are going to execute.

"I just trust the board and the work they do. I don't negotiate players, I don't discuss numbers and contracts. I just say what is obvious. Any one of you would say the same -- David is to keep."

De Gea is set to return for Stoke's visit to Old Trafford on Monday after Sergio Romero started the 2-0 FA Cup win over Derby County.

Antonio Valencia is fit again after missing six games with a hamstring injury, but Anthony Martial is a doubt after picking up a a knock against Derby while Eric Bailly and Zlatan Ibrahimovic remain sidelined.

Ibrahimovic has missed the last three games with a knee problem, but Mourinho dismissed suggestions the 36-year-old, who returned in November after uknee ligament surgery, may not make it back.

He added: "I was his manager when he was 29 [at Inter Milan].

"There is no chance he is going to be 29 again. When I was managing him I was 40-something. There is no chance I will be 40-something again.

"I will be 55 next week in fact, so we cannot stop time and for players time means a lot, and Zlatan knows that.

"He knows that at the highest level he's in the last part of his career but his dream, his desire, his fight was always to end in Manchester United his career at the highest level and, using the words he repeats all the time, being useful for me, for the team and that I think he can.

"He just needs to feel really happy with his knee, with his condition and that I think he can.

"As a leader in the dressing room, as a leader on the pitch, as a quality player on the pitch, I think he can do that and I think he deserves that and I'm here to try to help him do that."

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