Rio Ferdinand insists Jan Oblak is only goalkeeper capable of replacing David de Gea at Man United

The Spanish goalkeeper’s error gifted Mason Mount and Chelsea a second goal in the 3-1 FA Cup semi-final loss

Rio Ferdinand insists Jan Oblak is the only goalkeeper capable of replacing David de Gea at Manchester United.

The Spanish shot-stopper pushed Mason Mount’s shot into the back of the net at Wembley as the Red Devils lost to Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final.

The mistake has seen mounting pressure on De Gea and speculation that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will now look to replace him in the near future.

But Ferdinand believes there are very few options capable of upgrading on the 29-year-old.

Ferdinand told BT Sport said: “He [De Gea] has had a bad spell, confidence is low, but does that mean you go out and get rid of him? Who are you gonna get?

David De Gea is under fire after another poor performance (AP)

“Who is out there who is actually able to be bought right now and who is going to be a world-class goalkeeper right now at Manchester United?

‘The only one I see is [Jan] Oblak, but can you get him out of Atletico Madrid? And if you do how much are you going to have to spend?

“An obscene amount of money. I say stick with him [De Gea], he has earned that right to be stuck with.”

Ferdinand did admit he is “disappointed” as he has found it to be impossible to defend De Gea’s form right now.

The Atletico Madrid shot-stopper is rated highly (AFP via Getty) (AFP via Getty Images)

“When people make mistakes, they’re open to criticism. That’s just natural, that is just how football is,” Ferdinand added.

“David de Gea is no exception. He’s made mistakes, glaring mistakes in some big games, notably the game against Chelsea in the semi-final at Wembley.

“Yes, he should be doing better. I have played with David, he’s his own biggest critic. He’ll be sitting at home mulling over these, going through the situations and making sure that he tries to get rid of these mistakes that he is committing at the moment.

“I watched these games with my boys at home and I was flabbergasted to see them go past David because he’s a top-drawer goalkeeper.

“It is disappointing really, as a Manchester United fan you want to defend your player but at the moment he is not in a position to be defended in that respect.”