Manchester United have been told that former goalkeeper David de Gea would ‘consider’ a shock return in the January transfer window.
De Gea has shined since joining Italian club Fiorentina in August 2024, rediscovering his top form and showing everyone he is still one of the world’s most elite goalkeepers.
The 34-year-old spent the entirety of the 2023-24 season as a free agent after his 12-year spell at Old Trafford from 2011 to 2023 came to an end.
While De Gea is ‘happy’ at Fiorentina, Gaizka Mendieta has claimed his Spanish compatriot would contemplate a second spell with United.
De Gea played a total of 545 games for United, helping the club win the Premier League, FA Cup, Europa League and two Carabao Cup trophies.
Get personalised updates on Manchester United every day
Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link so we can send you football news tailored to you.
He clinched the Premier League Golden Glove in 2018 and 2023 and his successor Andre Onana has badly flopped since his arrival two years ago.
Onana has been sent out on loan to Turkish side Trabzonspor, with United now without an experienced world-class goalkeeper under Ruben Amorim.
The Red Devils did sign Senne Lammens in the summer transfer window and also have Altay Bayindir and Tom Heaton in the squad – but many pundits and fans feel they need a new No.1 goalkeeper with experience.
‘David de Gea was very happy at Man Utd’
‘I would have liked David de Gea to stay for sure, 100 per cent,’ former Spain international Mendieta told OLBG about the ex-United goalkeeper.
‘I’m sure he would have liked to stay as well. Then that sabbatical year would not have happened.
‘He still came back, went to Italy, and was the best goalkeeper in the Italian league. So it tells you the kind of goalkeeper that he is.
‘He is still one of the best goalkeepers in Italy, probably internationally. Even if it’s hard to compare different competitions.
‘To go back to Man Utd? I’m sure he would consider it. He was very happy there, he enjoyed being at a club like United.
‘But he’s also happy where is now. I think it was a rushed move away from United even if they wanted a change, they needed to have a good replacement.’
Former United chief scout Mick Brown, meanwhile, has predicted that the Red Devils may try to sign Emiliano Martinez again in the January window.
‘I’m still surprised they didn’t get Martinez [in the summer window],’ Brown told Football Insider. ‘They wanted him, he wanted the move, but at the end of the day they couldn’t come to an agreement with Aston Villa so the deal collapsed.
‘I have no doubt Martinez is still one of those [options for January], because he’s a top-class goalkeeper and one who would immediately solve the issues they’ve had recently.’