It is time for a #DaveSaves reboot! When in top form, and during his prime, David de Gea was often in the “greatest goalkeeper alive” conversation. That was awhile ago of course, as the long-time Manchester United No. 1 has actually been out of football for well over a year.
His United contract expired in June of 2023, and it is only now that he’s finally found his next gig, ACF Fiorentina, in Italy’s Serie A.
?? David de Gea, just landed in Florence to sign in as new Fiorentina player.
He’s back! ?? pic.twitter.com/5fFCbIyW4U
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 9, 2024
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As you can see from the Fabrizio Romano tweet above, De Gea has landed in “La Bella” or “The City of Gold” to undergo his medical and sign his paperwork for his new club. He’ll sign a one year deal with Fiorentina.
De Gea had been linked to several clubs, including a lot of interest from Saudi Arabia, but the Madrid native ultimately passed on all of it, mostly due to salary demands.
According to the Daily Mail, the 33-year-old, who spent 12 years at Old Trafford before he was replaced by Andre Onana, “had been in talks with fellow Italian top-flight team Genoa before a deal collapsed.” The reason is collapsed? Yes, wage demands.
Well, the wait is finally over now. I guess we’ll see, early on, if he’s rusty or not. Fiorentina open the season at Parma on Aug 17.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.