What’s next for David de Gea after Manchester United exit?
The Erik ten Hag era at Manchester United has had another twist in the tale, with long-serving goalkeeper David de Gea departing Old Trafford following the expiration of his contract. The Spaniard had been the Red Devils’ No.1 for over a decade and was the last remaining servant from the Sir Alex Ferguson days, but Ten Hag no longer saw a future at the club for the 32-year-old.
Man United fans remain torn over De Gea’s departure, but what’s done is done and Andre Onana — who was one of the standout players for Inter Milan as the Italian outfit surprisingly reached last season’s Champions League final — looks set to become his permanent replacement between the sticks as the Red Devils aim to reaffirm their chances in the Premier League top four odds.
De Gea must now decide what his next move is going to be and he will certainly have plenty of options on the table as he is still in his prime years. That said, read on as we take a look at some of the possibilities for the 32-year-old goalie.
Saudi Pro League
Whether you like it or not, Saudi Arabia has big plans to take over the world of football and this summer has already resulted in the Saudi Pro League’s stock rising massively — with the likes of Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Ruben Neves and Roberto Firmino (to name just a few) joining Cristiano Ronaldo out in the Middle East.
This financially-backed juggernaut is showing no signs of slowing down either and there will likely be several more big names moving to Saudi before the end of the transfer window. De Gea could be one of those, as there are rumours that he could sign for Al-Nassr and link up with former teammate Ronaldo.
The club have to pay off their debt to FIFA before they can add any more players to their bankroll, but if that issue can’t be resolved soon, we’re sure several other Saudi Pro League sides will be ready to make De Gea a lucrative offer.
Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain have shown interest in De Gea in the past, but nothing ever materialised from those rumours a few years ago. However, with the Spaniard now a free agent and the Parisians reportedly on the hunt for a goalkeeper as Keylor Navas looks set to leave the Parc des Princes permanently this summer, PSG could make another move for De Gea.
The main issue is that De Gea would likely play second fiddle to Gianluigi Donnarumma in Paris, which might put him off signing for the Ligue 1 side. It could be worth taking the chance though, as the Italian hasn’t always been at his best since joining PSG from AC Milan a couple of summers ago.
Therefore, if De Gea can rediscover the form that made him one of the best goalkeepers in the world earlier in his career, then he could strip Donnarumma of the No.1 jersey — especially with fellow Spaniard Luis Enrique recently being named the new PSG boss.
Onana’s imminent move to Manchester United could act as a domino effect for De Gea, with the Cameroonian’s move to Old Trafford opening up the No.1 spot at the San Siro and Inter could see him as the perfect replacement. A move to the MLS has also been touted, while Bayern Munich, Valencia and his former club Atletico Madrid are some of the other clubs in the mix.
