Update: Ruben Amorim has salt rubbed in wounds as ex-Man United ace calls out ‘nuts’ £20m decision News

Manchester United have been branded “nuts” for allowing David de Gea to leave Old Trafford after the Red Devils’ current goalkeeper crisis under Ruben Amorim deepened

Manchester United’s decision to let David de Gea go has been branded as “nuts” amid their current struggles under Ruben Amorim. United are now 14th in the Premier League standings following a 4-1 thrashing by Newcastle United.

In a surprising move, first-choice goalkeeper Andre Onana was left out of the squad for the game at St James’ Park on Sunday. The decision came after his blunders contributed to United’s 2-2 draw with Lyon in the Europa League.

Turkish shot-stopper Altay Bayindir stepped in but also underperformed, making a critical mistake that led to Newcastle’s fourth goal and letting in four out of six shots on target. Former United loanee keeper Jack Butland has criticised the club for their oversight in allowing De Gea to exit.

De Gea’s departure from Old Trafford came in July 2023 when he couldn’t reach an agreement on a new deal. His hefty £375,000-a-week wage (£19.5 million annually) was reportedly a major issue, even though De Gea was apparently prepared to accept a reduced salary.

Former England international Butland has given his verdict on the situation between the sticks at United as he reflected on his time with De Gea.

Speaking on Ben Foster’s ‘Fozcast’ podcast, the Rangers goalkeeper said: “It’s nuts. I know with the wage situation that everyone put that as a reason [for De Gea leaving], but you’ve then got to go and buy another goalkeeper when you’ve got one right there.

“Can he keep the ball out of the net? Oh my god! Sometimes he made a save that no one else could make. You can’t put a price on that and he is the most laid back character you’ll ever see.”

Butland praised his former team-mate, who now plays for Fiorentina, despite highlighting instances where the Spaniard appeared overly relaxed during training sessions. He candidly shared his observations, but said De Gea’s match day performances more than compensated.

“He won’t mind me saying this, because he knows it himself, but there were times we would train, and he wouldn’t really look too fussed,” Butland said.

“He’d come out and it would be a routine dipping volley around his feet, but he’d had a knock from a training session, and he just got out of the way of it.

“In my head, I’m thinking that if I had ever done that when I was at any point in my career, I’m getting sent in. But then he would go and do something that makes you go, ‘You can do what you want because of the save you just pulled off’.

“When it would come to a match day, he’d win you the game on his own. He knew what he was doing. He’d turn up on a game day and just be a monster.”