What Eddie Howe said about David De Gea in 2017 is now very interesting

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Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe might suddenly have the chance to sign a player he was full of praise for in 2017.

The Magpies’ injury list grew at the weekend, with Nick Pope becoming the latest player to be ruled out of action.

He suffered a shoulder injury during the 1-0 win over Manchester United, and could now miss up to five months of football.

That is a huge blow, as Pope has been in brilliant form as of late. His performance in Paris was simply breathtaking.

But now Newcastle will be without their first choice goalkeeper, which could lead to the Magpies dipping into the January transfer market.

Newcastle linked with signing David De Gea

One option for Eddie Howe is David De Gea. The 33-year-old is a free agent after being released by Manchester United at the end of last season.

It has been reported that Newcastle are interested in De Gea, while it has also been claimed that he is keen on a move to St James’ Park in January.

It would be a surprise if Howe did make a move for the Spaniard, but he is a player who he has previously been blown away by.

What Eddie Howe said about De Gea in 2017

Back in 2017 when Howe was still Bournemouth manager, his Cherries side were beaten 1-0 by Man United at Old Trafford.

It was a game that saw Bournemouth create plenty of opportunities, but they were unable to find a way past an inspired De Gea. They had seven shots on target, but none of them hit the back of De Gea’s net.

He seriously earned his clean sheet that day, and it led to Howe praising him for his efforts.

After the game, Howe told Sky Sports: “They have an outstanding goalkeeper who made a number of good saves and maybe we could have done better in and around their box, but when you consider the opposition and where we were playing, I was very pleased with my players.”

Howe thought De Gea was outstanding in 2017. Now his new club Newcastle could potentially sign him seven years later in 2024.

The fact that he is a free agent makes him very appealing. To be able to get a player of his quality to replace Nick Pope would be a real boost for the second half of the season. However, wages will still likely be an issue.

It may come down to how badly Howe wants him. He has been seriously impressed with him in the past, but it remains to be seen if the Newcastle boss still feels the same as he did back in 2017.