A decision has been made on the future of the former Manchester United goalkeeper. David de Gea signed a one-year contract with the possibility of an extension last summer with Italian club Fiorentina 12 months ago.
At that time, he had been clubless for over a year after Manchester United chose in the summer of 2023 not to extend the contract of their first goalkeeper and instead bring in Erik ten Hag’s favorite André Onana.
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Fiorentina, who are in 8th place in Serie A, drew away at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza against AC Milan at the weekend. The goal is as always games in Europe and with only 5 points up to the top four it is still possible.
Fiorentina’s defence is not completely patent, as a result there are more shots at David de Gea during a match than any other top Serie A club.
Although Fiorentina are just outside the European qualifying places in Serie A, David de Gea has had a solid season between the sticks. He has kept a clean sheet in 10 of 31 games across all competitions and has helped “La Viola” in their quest to win the Conference League and secure European qualification in Serie A.
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With his contract expiring in the summer, Fiorentina have now chosen to “activate the option on David de Gea’s contract” for another season, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
De Gea, 34, was criticised for a number of mistakes during his final years at Manchester United, but was also a firm favourite with fans at Old Trafford, where he made over 400 Premier League appearances between 2011 and 2023.
United fans are not surprised that he has been a good signing for Fiorentina – and even a contract extension is unlikely to quell speculation of a return to England.
With United’s current goalkeeper, André Onana, struggling to gain the trust of one of the club’s weakest squads in years, the news of De Gea’s extension has led fans to compare the two.
Fans react
“We all know he’s better than Onana,” one user wrote.
“We let him down, and now it’s biting us. Karma!” wrote another.
“De Gea is roasting quietly in Florence,” read one comment. “No drama, no headlines, just saves. From free agent doubts to Fiorentina’s wall until 2026.”
The former Spain international has been a mainstay for Fiorentina in Serie A this season and has saved more shots than expected – based on how likely the shots were – than in any season since 2017/18.
Onana’s stats are okay, but have slightly dropped compared to last year, and the perception of mistakes inevitably leads fans to compare him to a goalkeeper United chose to leave.
“He’s been a beast in goal this season,” another user wrote about De Gea. “No wonder they want to keep him.”
Fiorentina exercising the option does not necessarily mean that a return to United is out of the picture, but it does mean that United will have to pay a transfer fee to bring him back.
Either way, De Gea could choose to repay Fiorentina’s trust after a year without football.
