David De Gea set for soccer return with Serie A giants after 12-month absence
David de Gea is set to end his 12-month hiatus from football by joining Serie A side Fiorentina.
The former Manchester United player has been without a club since his contract with the Red Devils expired at the end of the 2022/23 season. Reports suggest that De Gea will sign a contract with La Viola until June 2025, with an option for an additional season.
The 33-year-old has reportedly given a verbal agreement to join the club and has scheduled a medical ahead of the move. The seasoned goalie had attracted interest from the Saudi Pro League and the MLS.
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Just last month, it seemed that De Gea was on the verge of signing with another Serie A team, Genoa. However, talks with the ex-Atletico Madrid keeper fell through, and no final agreement was reached.
De Gea ended his 545-match, 12-year tenure with United in 2023 and initially took a break from football before deciding to make a comeback. It’s believed that De Gea turned down several offers over the past year but now seems ready to play in Italy’s top league, reports the Mirror.
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(Image: Getty Images)
In preparation for his return, De Gea has been training with non-league side Altrincham to keep his fitness and skills sharp. The Spanish shot-stopper is reportedly demanding a yearly salary of £2.5million, which could increase to £3.5m if his contract is extended.
De Gea will join Marin Pngracic, Moise Kean and Andrea Colpani in making the move to the Italian club this summer. Fiorentina are once again set to compete in the Europa Conference League this season, having narrowly missed out on the title in the last two editions.
The Florence outfit were defeated by West Ham in the 2022/23 final, with Jarrod Bown netting a last-minute winner.
More recently, Fiorentina fell short against Olympiacos. The Greek side secured a 1-0 victory after extra time, courtesy of Ayoub El Kaabi’s strike, clinching their first European trophy.
