David De Gea is expected to miss the World Cup – having not been included in the 55-man provisional list for the Spanish national team.
The news comes as no surprise since the Manchester United goalkeeper has not featured for Luis Enrique’s side since 2020.
Why has David De Gea been left out of the Spain squad?
Luis Enrique has preferred a ball-playing goalkeeper who is good at distribution. And as a result, Unai Simon has been the preferred choice for the manager in the last few international breaks.
David De Gea’s shot-stopping abilities are unquestionable. However, his distribution has been a major drawback that has left his club future in doubt as well.
Unai Simón, Robert Sánchez and David Raya are expected to be the three goalkeepers headed to Qatar in a month. Chelsea’s Kepa Arrizabalaga and Getafe’s David Soria are the two back-up options in case one of the three fail to make it.
Manchester United are deferring negotiations with De Gea over a contract extension. They are looking at Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa as a replacement next summer, who has very impressive distribution skills and is among the best young goalkeepers in the world right now.
De Gea, on the other hand, has expressed interest over staying at Manchester United for an extended period. But, it remains to be seen whether the club will agree to an extension with him.
