Man Utd hope to secure David De Gea future before deciding on new boss
United want to follow up agreement with Anthony Martial by tying De Gea down to new long-term contract and then switch attentions to nailing down new manager
MANCHESTER UNITED want to sort out the future of David De Gea before deciding on who to name as their next manager, according to reports.
United are still mulling over who will be their boss next season with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer only in interim control until the summer.
But despite needing to make a decision on who will be in the Old Trafford hot-seat, the say the most pressing concern is to tie De Gea down to a new long-term contract.
The United board have spent much of the past few months in talks with two senior players - De Gea and Anthony Martial - in an effort to keep both at the club.
They have finally made a breakthrough with Martial who is understood to have signed a new five-year-deal which is expected to be announced on Friday.
And now they are ready to concentrate all their efforts on finalising an agreement with Spanish keeper De Gea so he stays at United for the foreseeable future.
The club have already activated the one-year option on his current deal, but even so they are concerned about going into next season with him in the final year of his contract.
It means United are now looking at piecing together a package which is claimed to be worth £300,000-a-week to convince him to stay.
Such a contract would make him the world's highest paid goalkeeper, but United feel they have the best in the world on their books and want to ensure he is not picked off by other sides.
The intention would be for the club to finalise things with De Gea before the end of the season - leaving them free to look at the major choices at the top.
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The managerial position is key, with Solskjaer doing his chances of taking the position permanently no harm with his nine-game unbeaten run.
Tuesday's 2-2 draw with Burnley brought to an end the eight-game winning streak he had enjoyed, but such has been the improvement on and off the pitch that the Old Trafford board have been left hugely impressed.
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino remains a serious option, although Spurs would put a huge price tag on him in order to ward off any approach.
Executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward is also still looking to make a decision on who will be the new technical director he wants to bring in as he changes the management structure at Old Trafford.