One of Erik ten Hag’s most-used players at Man Utd so far has turned down an offer to extend his stay at the club, according to a report.

Man Utd have a few players due to be out of contract at the end of the season, whose futures they will need to resolve. While some, such as Phil Jones and Tom Heaton, might be easy to say goodbye to, others may yet have a part to play beyond this summer.

Most notably, David de Gea is fighting to preserve his status as Man Utd’s number one goalkeeper. As things stand, he is scheduled to leave the club in June after a lengthy stay.

But if he can find a compromise with Man Utd over reducing his salary, the Spaniard could yet remain with the Red Devils.

According to The Athletic, though, De Gea has now rejected Man Utd’s opening offer of a contract extension beyond this season.

Currently on terms of £375,000 per week, making him the world’s best-paid goalkeeper, De Gea will need to reduce his earnings if he is to extend his spell at Old Trafford. With that in mind, the prospect of Man Utd activating their option to renew those terms for another 12 months is off the table.

But they have approached him over a new package which would see his wages decrease to something more sustainable. However, he feels that his employers have gone too low with their opening suggestion of a cut.

That said, there is still an apparent expectation that De Gea and Man Utd will come to an agreement in time. The report reminds that initial offers are indeed rarely accepted as both sides negotiate.

Ten Hag happy to continue with De Gea

Crucially, De Gea still has the blessing of Ten Hag to continue as Man Utd’s first choice. Only Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford have played more under the Dutch tactician for the club so far across all competitions, though the keeper is his only ever-present in the Premier League.

De Gea has seen off pressure from Dean Henderson, Martin Dubravka and Jack Butland so far during Ten Hag’s reign. Although Man Utd are exploring alternatives they could bring in – whether that be a recall for Henderson after his loan spell at Nottingham Forest, or a bid for someone new like Brentford’s David Raya – there is a decent chance that De Gea will still be donning the gloves more often than anyone else on their books next season.

At the age of 32, it remains to be seen for how much longer he can remain Man Utd’s number one. There have been some concerns about aspects of his game being in decline.

However, if he is someone Ten Hag still trusts, then it makes sense for the club to put their faith in him.

After all, the manager has ended Man Utd’s recent trophy drought recently. He has done so by working out which of his players can be most effective.

De Gea started and kept a clean sheet in the final of the Carabao Cup, proving he can still be relied upon during big matches.

Therefore, Man Utd will hope their confidence in him extending his contract isn’t misplaced and that they can continue to call upon the former Atletico Madrid man for a while longer.

READ MORE: Ten Hag target changes agents to secure Man Utd move as Fabrizio Romano reveals new lowly price

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