S Poddar
Having spent the past year idle, former Manchester United stalwart David de Gea has shocked many by signing for Italian outfit Fiorentina. The Spaniard’s 12-year spell at Old Trafford came to a screeching halt last summer when his contract expired without renewal.
The call to let De Gea go was always going to split the United faithful. Some felt it was the end of an era, with a proven goalkeeper and legend of the club being shown out of the door, while others felt the need for change and that the Spaniard’s distribution and ability to play out from the back were no longer good enough.
After being released by United, he snubbed mega-money moves to Saudi Arabia and bided his time to wait for the correct opportunity. That patience has now proved worthwhile as Fiorentina offers him that new challenge. The Serie A club finished last term eighth in the league and runners-up in the Conference League for the second year in a row.
Interestingly, Fiorentina also houses former United loanee Sofyan Amrabat. The Moroccan midfielder has publicly made his desire to join the Red Devils known and delayed his return to pre-season training in an attempt to force a move. While the Italian media claims Amrabat has now resumed training, United remain interested in the player.
De Gea joins Fiorentina in a different chapter of his illustrious career. The Spaniard won many personal trophies with United, notably in the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, and Europa League. His impressive goalkeeping display saw him named as Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year on four occasions. De Gea made 545 appearances for United—the most by any goalkeeper—and chalked off no less than 190 clean sheets.
With De Gea now embarking on a new adventure, there is already talk about a testimonial at Old Trafford when he retires. At the moment, eyes lie in Italy on what he will do in trying to prove his worth once more.
