Despite the fact that David de Gea, a former custodian for Manchester United, was signed by Fiorentina less than a year ago, the club has already taken a decision on his future.
In the summer of 2023, Manchester United made the decision not to renew De Gea’s contract, and he went on to sign with Fiorentina after being without a club for more than a year.
In the Serie A table, Fiorentina is now in a position that is just outside of the spots that qualify for European qualifying, and De Gea has had a successful season in this position.
A total of ten clean sheets have been recorded by the 34-year-old goalkeeper in 31 games across all competitions. He has also been responsible for keeping La Viola in the running for the UEFA Conference League title this season, in addition to keeping them in the running for the European slots in Serie A.
According to football transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, Fiorentina has now made the choice to “activate the option to extend David De Gea’s contract” for a second season. This decision comes as De Gea’s current deal is set to expire in the summer.
At Old Trafford, where he played more than 400 Premier League matches between 2011 and 2023, De Gea, who was 34 years old at the time, was largely considered as a fan favourite. However, he was subjected to criticism for a number of blunders that he made while playing for Manchester United.
The fact that he has been a beneficial acquisition for Fiorentina is not surprising to fans of Manchester United, and even if he were to extend his contract, it would not be enough to put an end to rumours that he would be returning to England.
In light of the fact that Andre Onana, the custodian for the Red Devils, is having a difficult time winning over supporters as the custodian for one of the worst teams United has fielded in the Premier League history, the news of De Gea’s likely transfer to Fiorentina has sparked similarities between the two players.
“We all know that he is better than Onana,” said one user on X, which was once known as Twitter.
The fact that we let him down finally caught up with us. Another person wrote, “Karma!”
One assessment stated, “De Gea is quietly cooking in Florence,” and it was written. It’s simply saves, no drama, no headlines,” she said. “From uncertainties regarding free agents to Fiorentina’s wall until 2026.”
This season, the former Spain international has been a constant presence for La Viola in Serie A. He has made more saves than predicted, which is measured by the possibility that the shots he has faced will result in a goal, than he has in any season since 2017/18.
Despite the fact that Onana’s performance in relation to that statistic is also favourable, it has experienced a modest reduction over the previous season. Furthermore, the impression of errors has led supporters to compare him to a custodian that Manchester United decided to let go of.
“The man has been a beast in goal this season,” said another user on X in reference to De Gea. “No wonder they want him to stick around.”
Despite the fact that the fact that Fiorentina exercised their option does not necessarily rule out a return to Manchester United, it does imply that United would have to use their transfer money in order to get him.
In spite of the fact that De Gea has been absent from the game for a year, he may decide to show Fiorentina his gratitude.
xz
