David de Gea put an end to his 12-year stay at Manchester United last summer following the expiry of his contract.
The Spaniard was the last remaining player from United’s Premier League-winning side of 2013 but after a deal over a contract extension couldn’t be struck, he left the club as a free agent.
In the months leading up to his departure, it seemed like everything had been agreed and that an announcement was the only thing missing.
That all changed at the end of the season, however, with United completing a U-turn on their decision to extend De Gea’s contract and instead identified Andre Onana as the perfect replacement.
Since leaving the club, De Gea has remained a free agent, rejecting some opportunities out of hand in favour of spending time with his family.
That’s according to The Athletic, who say that De Gea has enjoyed being a ‘non-footballer’ and gave serious consideration to retiring last summer.
As per the report, De Gea is keeping all options open after rejecting several proposals over the summer transfer window.
One of the opportunities presented to the Spaniard was the chance to replace Onana at Inter Milan but that was never something he considered, it is claimed. He was also the subject of offers from clubs in Saudi Arabia and teams in Europe’s top leagues.
There is little clarity on whether De Gea will return to football in a playing capacity again but he will be remembered fondly at Old Trafford.
