"Still put him in the top 10 goalkeepers in the world" - Manchester United legend admits he was surprised to see David de Gea leave the club

Manchester United icon Gary Pallister recently questioned the club's decision to let David de Gea leave the club as a free agent this summer. The former centre-back also admitted that he isn't fully sold on new signing Andre Onana yet.

The Red Devils made the bold decision to not renew De Gea's contract, letting the veteran leave as a free agent on June 30. The 32-year-old made 545 appearances during his 12-year tenure at Old Trafford, keeping 190 clean sheets. He also won eight trophies, including the 2012-13 Premier League.

Despite the Manchester United legend winning the Premier League Golden Glove last season, Erik ten Hag opted not to renew his contract. Instead, the Dutch tactician signed Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir for a total of £51.3 million, both shot-stoppers who excel with their distribution and fit his system.

Pallister told GOAL:

“There was a lot of silence about what was going on there. David was a great servant. I would still put him in the top 10 goalkeepers in the world. The manager was looking for something a little bit different. Onana is a guy that’s super confident, very comfortable with the ball at his feet and playing out – which is a style that managers seem to want now."

He added:

"It puts the fear of god in me when I see it. That’s the way he plays the game, the way Erik wants to play the game and there is a big onus on keepers to be able to do that.”

He also gave his thoughts on Onana:

"We have got to see him over a period of time before we make our decisions on whether he is top class. If you play for Inter, you aren’t a bad keeper. He’s made some good saves, he’s had a decent start and it’s a watching brief now.”

Onana has made four appearances for Manchester United so far and has kept one clean sheet.

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Manchester United have made a poor start to the 2023-24 season

Manchester United haven't had the best of starts to their Premier League campaign and are currently 11th in the table with just six points after four games.

Erik ten Hag were fortunate to defeat Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 in their opening game as they were the second-best team for large periods of the game. They were then soundly defeated 2-0 by Tottenham Hotspur the following week.

Despite pulling an impressive 3-2 comeback against Nottingham Forest, the Red Devils were defeated 3-1 by Arsenal before the international break. To make matters worse, the club have been plagued with off-field issues, with Antony's legal issues and Jadon Sancho's falling out with Ten Hag.

Manchester United will be looking to secure all three points against Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford on Saturday, September 16.