David de Gea, the former Manchester United goalkeeper, has been a free agent since the end of the 2022/23 season. It is reported that he could be making a stunning return to football in the near future. De Gea, who spent 12 successful years at Old Trafford, left the club due to his high wage demands which were not met by the management under Erik ten Hag. Despite being out of action last season, De Gea is still a target for clubs in Europe and Saudi Arabia, but his salary demands continue to pose a challenge.
According to sources, De Gea is seeking an annual contract worth between £4.2m and £5m, significantly less than his previous £375,000 per week contract with Manchester United. The goalkeeper held talks with Genoa and Fiorentina, but both clubs found his demands to be unreasonable. Fiorentina, in particular, is focused on reducing their wage bill, making a move for De Gea unlikely at this time.
It is understood that clubs in Spain have also shown interest in De Gea, but his wage demands have dampened their enthusiasm. The most concrete interest in De Gea has come from clubs in the Saudi Pro League. Negotiations have started with Al-Shabab and another Saudi club, but no deal has been reached yet. A move to Saudi Arabia seems to be the most plausible scenario for De Gea at this point, but he may need to reconsider his wage demands to finalize a deal.
Despite his time away from professional football, De Gea has stayed in shape and is prepared to return to the pitch when the opportunity arises. It will be intriguing to see how this situation unfolds in the coming weeks and whether De Gea will be flexible with his salary expectations to secure a new club. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.