David de Gea could be in line for an emotional return to Old Trafford this summer, with Manchester United set to welcome back the Spanish goalkeeper
Manchester United look set to welcome much-missed goalkeeper David de Gea back to Old Trafford this summer.
The Premier League side have announced a pre-season friendly against Serie A side Fiorentina on Saturday, August 9 at 12.45pm. This encounter will conclude United’s pre-season activities following a three-match tour in America in the Snapdragon Cup and a face-off against Leeds in Sweden.
De Gea left United when his contract was not renewed in the summer of 2023. The Premier League winner was replaced by £47m flop Andre Onana and the 34-year-old keeper joined the Serie A outfit at the start of the current season after a 12-month break from the game.
De Gea, who has been sensational for Fiorentina this season, remains on excellent terms with his former team-mates and staff at United, and a potential reunion match is sure to be an emotional affair, reports the Mirror.
As his departure from United was confirmed post-season, fans missed out on the chance to bid farewell to the goalie who not only wore the No. 1 jersey but also scooped up the Player of the Year award four times.
The Red Devils’ technical director Jason Wilcox emphasised the importance of the tie. He said: “This final pre-season fixture is key to our preparations for the 2025/26 campaign.
“It will ensure the players have all had competitive game time, against top opposition, in different environments, including Old Trafford, before the Premier League resumes.”
Since joining United back in 2011 from Atletico Madrid, de Gea weathered a difficult initial period to become one of the club’s standout performers in the years following Sir Alex Ferguson’s exit.
Living it up in Italy now, de Gea embraced his break from the game. He said: “I just wanted to take it easy for a while after playing at the highest levels for many years. Perhaps, it was the best period of my life.”
He shared with Italian daily La Repubblica how he was able to spend quality moments spent with family and friends previously snatched away by his career-driven travels between Madrid and Manchester.
As De Gea’s contract winds down this campaign, whispers have surfaced that Fiorentina is set to exercise their option to keep him for another year. “I signed for one year and the club has an option to renew,” de Gea disclosed.
“I’m happy in Florence and at Fiorentina, but first we need to finish the season in the best possible way. The city is wonderful, and the people are amazing.
“The club has a unique history, and the Franchi excites me. It’s beautiful and passionate. I immediately said yes to Fiorentina, Serie A has always attracted me.”
