David De Gea’s team-mate slams ‘absurd’ Man Utd choice to let him depart

David de Gea was released by Manchester United in the summer of 2023 and has since rebuilt his career at Fiorentina, with the Spaniard impressing his team-mates

Fiorentina forward Albert Gudmundsson has lauded David de Gea, calling Manchester United’s choice to release him as “absurd”.

De Gea’s 12-year stay at Old Trafford came to an end after the 2022/23 season when United decided against renewing his contract. The decision was reportedly influenced by some costly mistakes made by the Spaniard towards the end of the season.

Having taken over from Edwin van der Sar in 2011 after moving from Atletico Madrid, De Gea racked up 545 appearances for United and collected eight trophies along the way.

It wasn’t until August 2023 that De Gea returned to professional football, signing with Fiorentina. Now, after a year away from the game, he’s back in form, having played 27 times for the Italian club this season.

Gudmundsson, currently on loan at Fiorentina from Genoa, expressed his delight at playing alongside the ex-United keeper, reports the Manchester Evening News.

As quoted by TMW, Gudmundsson remarked: “It’s absurd that Manchester United decided to let go of someone like him.

“He’s a great guy, a very humble person with whom I talk about everything. On top of that, he played eleven years in the Premier League, winning numerous titles.

“He’s the best goalkeeper I’ve ever played with in my career, and it’s amazing to share the pitch with him. We’re talking about a top player.”

United decided to bring in Andre Onana as a replacement for De Gea at the beginning of the 2023/24 season, signing him from Inter Milan in a £47.2million deal.

However, the Cameroonian has made costly mistakes and has rarely displayed the distribution skills that were frequently evident at Inter, with him initially perceived as a better modern goalkeeper than the 34-year-old Spaniard.

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