David de Gea's patience could finally be rewarded in a big way
David de Gea has been lined up by a true European giant in what’s being labelled a ‘strategic move’, with the Manchester United legend’s patience finally set to be rewarded.
De Gea, 33, left Man Utd as a free agent at the end of the 2022/23 campaign. The Red Devils did have a one-year option in De Gea’s contract they could have triggered, though the club opted against that move.
Instead, United rolled the dice and attempted to forge a fresh agreement from scratch that contained a vastly reduced pay packet.
De Gea and United did find common ground on a new deal, though United ultimately whipped their agreement off the table before putting forward a second set of terms containing an even lower salary.
That proved the last straw for De Gea who refused to sign United’s lowball deal and took his future into his own hands through free agency.
The veteran stopper – who is a four-time Man Utd player of the year – received interested from Saudi Arabia, though elected to snub the opportunity.
Links to Newcastle amid Nick Pope suffering a serious shoulder injury came and went. As such, eight months have passed since De Gea left United and the legendary Spaniard is still without a club.
The Sun recently claimed De Gea has determined his future should remain in Spain where he currently resides with his family.
De Gea was reportedly targeting a move to one of LaLiga’s elite. De Gea is fully aware he’d serve initially as back-up, though is understood to believe he’ll be able to prove his worth and potentially earn a starting role if given a shot.
Now, according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, De Gea’s patience in waiting for the right opportunity could pay dividends.
De Gea to Barcelona?
They state Barcelona are emerging as a credible contender to snap up De Gea in what’s termed a ‘strategic move’.
Barcelona’s financial woes are well-documented and one way the club have navigated choppy waters in recent years is through canny free agent signings.
The suggestion is De Gea would be brought on board to serve as back-up to Marc-Andre ter Stegen. However, if De Gea impresses, he could either earn a longer-term deal or be sold and generate much needed funds at the Camp Nou.
Obviously, De Gea will fancy his chances of proving the doubters wrong and becoming a mainstay at Barcelona.
The Spanish giant have reportedly been weighing up a swoop for De Gea for some time and his insistence on playing in Spain aids their cause.
