Sergio Romero makes surprising Man Utd claim: It is better for me if David De Gea stays

Romero has been at Manchester United since arriving on a free transfer from Serie A side Sampdoria in the summer of 2015.

And, despite being Argentina's No1, the 30-year-old has spent much of his time at Old Trafford stuck on the sidelines.

Romero was installed as the club's first-choice goalkeeper when David De Gea looked primed to join Real Madrid two years ago.

But, once the Spain international penned a four-year contract extension, it was back to being stuck on the bench.

With De Gea the club's undisputed No1, you would think Romero might want his team-mate to go so he can step up and fill the void left by his departure.

However, Romero has claimed he wants De Gea to stay because he himself is benefitting from the rivalry between the two.

"It’s better for the club that there is this competition there between me and David," he said.

"And the truth is that there exists a great friendship between us, we work hard in order help each other out.

"It’s very important that we work in this way so we can get the most out of each other. 

"If he puts pressure on me, I put pressure on him and it’s the same with young Joel Pereira who is working with us.

"So yes, it’s good for me if he stays at United. He is a friend and we will keep working hard to help each other out in training. 

"If he does well then I do well, so in that way, the level of performance will always be high."

Romero initially had Manchester United fans fearing they had signed a dud, struggling when talk De Gea could go was at its paramount.

But the former Sampdoria star impressed as the club won the Europa League last term, starting every game in the competition including the 2-0 final win over Ajax.