Manchester United sources insist Emilio Alvarez is staying at the club as goalkeeping coach despite his omission from the retained list of staff.
United confirmed last week Mike Phelan had signed a three-year contract as assistant manager and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer clarified on Tuesday first-team coaches Michael Carrick, Kieran McKenna and Mark Dempsey would stay on.
Alvarez, the only survivor from Jose Mourinho's staff, was conspicuous by his absence but a senior United source told the MEN the Spaniard already has an existing contract, as opposed to other coaching staff members.
David de Gea, who met Alvarez when he was 19 at Atletico Madrid, is about to enter the last year of his United contract but has received an offer from Paris Saint-Germain. A source close to the United number one said De Gea intends to have a period of reflection on his poor form before deciding on his plans for next season. Alvarez's arrangement with United is believed to hinge on De Gea's future.
Phelan and Dempsey rejoined United on a part-time basis with Solskjaer in December and it is understood Carrick and McKenna required renewals. Carrick ended his playing career last year and McKenna was promoted from academy coach to the first-team set-up by Mourinho last June.
Alvarez was enlisted by Mourinho as a deputy goalkeeping coach to his loyal lieutenant Silvino Louro three years ago on the strength of Alvarez's working relationship with De Gea at Atletico. The MEN reported Mourinho made it his first priority to kill Real Madrid's lingering interest in De Gea back in 2016 and Alvarez was drafted in to resume his mentoring of De Gea.
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Former Watford coach Quique Sanchez Flores took Alvarez with him to Atletico Madrid in November 2009 and De Gea ended the season by starting in their Europa League final win over Fulham. Four months later, Sir Alex Ferguson missed only his third United fixture at Scunthorpe to watch De Gea with goalkeeping coach Eric Steele as he considered Edwin van der Sar's successor.
"When we signed in November, David at that time was not playing," Alvarez told the United programme. "He was the third 'keeper at Atletico and was really young and really skinny. But the talent was there, so I said straight away to the manager: 'You need to make David No.1'.
"At that time, many people said I was crazy and not many people trusted what I was saying. But the most important thing was me and David creating that connection that we still have, about trusting each other.
"I ask him to trust in my methodology and, of course, I trust in him, the talent and abilities that he has. After that, David has grown up so fast."
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