David de Gea Man United return stance as transfer question posed after Andre Onana struggles

David de Gea left Manchester United in July 2023 with the goalkeeper still without a club over a year later

Manchester United legend David de Gea is still without a club a year after leaving Old Trafford.

The shot-stopper left at the end of his contract last summer, having made a club record 545 appearances for a goalkeeper in United colours. It was a challenging final season for De Gea, with several high-profile errors in big games leading to the conclusion that both sides needed to move on.

De Gea's last competitive match came in the 2023 FA Cup final, with the Spaniard blamed in some quarters for Ilkay Gundogan's winning goal in a 2-1 defeat to Manchester City. It's been a frustrating period ever since for the33-year-old, who recently saw a move to Genoa collapse.

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And details have emerged, which may explain why a former Premier League Golden Glove winner is still without a club. TEAMtalk have claimed that De Gea is looking to earn between £4.2million and £5m – which equates to £80,000 to £96,000 per week.

No one can blame a player of De Gea's CV for wanting the wages that reflect his standing as a goalkeeper who brings such experience. This is a keeper who rescued United on multiple occasions while almost single-handedly helping them qualify for the Champions League and win trophies during a turbulent period.

But it is also why any potential return to Old Trafford appears to be so unlikely. The keeper initially wanted to hold face-to-face discussions with the club before leaving last year, but his exit freed up a hefty weekly wage, which totalled £19.5m over a calendar year.

His replacement, Andre Onana, endured a mixed first season, and some will have questioned why De Gea was let go for a player who made plenty of errors himself during a difficult first few months. But it was clear that Erik ten Hag realised he could not have a goalkeeper who had such limited ability with the ball at his feet.

The jury is still well and truly out over whether Onana will take United back to where they want to be, but De Gea could not be relied upon for another campaign. Whatever comes next for one of United's greatest-ever goalkeepers, it won't be a return to Manchester.

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