David de Gea exit paves way for Erik ten Hag’s tactical transformation

Replacing David de Gea won’t be easy.

No Premier League goalkeeper kept more clean sheets last season than De Gea, who announced his departure on Saturday, and in 12 years at Manchester United he was named the club’s player of the year on four occasions.

He leaves United as a legend, having been part of their last league title-winning team and lifting four major trophies with the club. But his exit also paves the way for a transition that many fans feel is long overdue.

At his best, De Gea was a match-winning shot-stopper with the agility and speed of reaction to pull off astounding saves.

In recent years, however, he has looked like a player out of his time as soccer has demanded more from keepers, with Manchester City and Liverpool two standout examples of how the position has been transformed.

England’s two most dominant teams of the past five years have exploited the ball-playing qualities of their keepers.

Ederson, at City, and Alisson, at Liverpool, look as comfortable with the ball at their feet as they do with their hands. Their composure in possession and the precision of their passing adds another dimension to their teams.

They are effectively an 11th outfield player at times and it can feel like their teams have an extra man in defense with their ability to step out of goal and double up as a sweeper when required.

Their long-range passing can be a valuable weapon in attack, but it is more their prowess in building out from the back that is fundamental to the style of soccer played by City’s Pep Guardiola and Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp.

United have not had that option with de Gea in goal and increasingly there has been a sense that it has held the team back in attempts to modernize its play.

Can it be a