David de Gea’s year out after Manchester United – training at Altrincham, playing padel and where he might return
What’s happened to David de Gea?
It’s a question many fans have been asking themselves after the Spanish goalkeeper’s unexpected departure from Manchester United a year ago. The Athletic reported then that De Gea had signed an extension, before the club backed out and parted ways with their long-serving No 1.
De Gea made 545 appearances over 12 years at United, placing him seventh on their all-time list. He has been capped 45 times for his country and won his second Premier League Golden Glove in his last season with United — but he has been without a club since then.
This week, we reported in the Transfer DealSheet that he is nearing a return to football after being presented with several options, including one club each from Saudi Arabia, the United States and Italy. He expects to have news on his future next week.
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In January, we detailed why he had not joined a new club and what he had been doing since then — but it is now 417 days since he made his last appearance, in the 2023 FA Cup final loss against Manchester City.
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So, what has the 33-year-old been up to?
The Athletic’s news of De Gea’s future came after he posted a message on X on Saturday: an hourglass emoji.
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— David de Gea (@D_DeGea) July 20, 2024
It is not the first time he has been cryptic on social media. Two days before it was announced he would leave United last July, he posted a juggling boy emoji. The previous month, he had posted a yawning face in an apparent reference to rumours over his future.
In his first months without a team, sources — who, like all those cited in this article, asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships — close to De Gea said he considered retiring.
The Spaniard was upset with those he held responsible for his departure: manager Erik ten Hag and the club’s then-football director, John Murtough. De Gea even told his inner circle that he would be happy to return to United if those two figures were no longer there.
After four to five months in which he relaxed and took a break from the game, De Gea realised he missed football and started working towards a return. He stayed at his home in Manchester until the end of 2023 for tax reasons rather than returning to Spain.
He no longer saw retirement as an option and started training three to four times a week with a goalkeeping coach recommended by Richard Hartis, who held that role at United until last week.
De Gea has not lost contact with his team-mates or other United employees, as his Instagram feed makes clear. He owns an esports team called Rebels Gaming, which his former team-mates Bruno Fernandes and Juan Mata both hold shares in.
He was in attendance for United’s Women’s Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain at Leigh Sports Village in October, but has not visited Old Trafford or the club’s Carrington training ground since he left.
He has combined physical and goalkeeper-specific training with playing padel — the racket sport is one of his favourite hobbies and he dedicates several hours a week to it.
De Gea has trained in Manchester and was even pictured in April doing individual work at non-League side Altrincham, based in the market town on the city’s outskirts where the Spaniard lives. He has used the Spanish Football Federation’s facilities in Las Rozas, Madrid, and has continued that work in his home town of Illescas, a town in the neighbouring Toledo province.
Those in close contact with him during the process say he has been training seriously, and is fit and keen for a return to elite football. They say De Gea had several offers last summer and has several options this year, but add that he preferred to wait for the right project.
De Gea was once a client of the Portuguese ‘super agent’ Jorge Mendes but in recent transfer windows, he has been represented by a little-known lawyer, Jose Carlos Bouzas. He takes charge of his business along with a trusted friend and advisor.
The goalkeeper parted ways with Mendes as he did not want a dedicated agent, turning to his close circle instead. That has slowed down his search for a new team given the connections professional agents have.
He hopes to have his future resolved in the next few days and announce his new club shortly. His priority is a club and a city that guarantees stability for him and his family, his wife, Edurne — who is a well-known singer in Spain — and their daughter, Yanay.
His preferred option in the U.S. would be on the West Coast, but there is a chance he will stay in Europe. He does not have offers from Spain — where he started his career with Atletico Madrid in 2009 — and sources close to him say he has no intention of playing for another English team other than United.
So De Gea’s options are still open, but the move will bring an end to a year out of the game for someone previously seen as one of Europe’s top goalkeepers.
(Top photo: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
