David de Gea's return to Manchester could not have been timed better, as Andre Onana continues to struggle as his successor.
De Gea teased his 15.6million followers on Instagram by posting a story from the United women's team's Champions League qualifier against Paris St Germain at Leigh Sports Village. The former Spain No.1 showed his support to the team on Instagram, writing 'Let's go!!!' over a video clip of the team warming up for the match.
Ex-United goalkeeper De Gea, who spent 12 years as the club's No.1, returned to the UK to resolve a few issues with the house he and his family owned in the plush Cheshire suburb of Hale. De Gea's homecoming made some United fans pine for his return to their team, with some even suggesting the club re-sign him, given Onana's failure to show he is an upgrade on his predecessor.
For De Gea's part, the 32-year-old is said to be happy to have some time out from playing, to spend with his family, while he waits for the right offer. De Gea has been based at his family home in Madrid since leaving United, spending time with his wife Edurne Garcia – whom he married in Menorca last summer - and their two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Yanay.
The former Spain international rejected a lucrative deal to move to Saudi Arabia, believing he still has something to offer at the highest level in Europe. Yet 95 days after he announced he was leaving United, after 545 appearances and 190 clean sheets – both club records for a goalkeeper – De Gea has yet to find a new club.
De Gea left United because Erik ten Hag wanted a goalkeeper who could play out from the back with his feet, something the Spaniard does not have the skill-set for, despite his formidable shot-stopping ability, reflexes and agility. So De Gea went on his way and in came Onana, a £47million signing who, it should not be forgotten, had joined Inter Milan as a free agent from Ajax a year earlier, where Ten Hag was his boss.
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Quite why Ten Hag did not insist on Onana, 27, coming with him as a free agent when he arrived at United, given he clearly had misgivings about De Gea, only the Dutchman knows. But De Gea played out the final year of his contract, which was beset by the kind of costly blunders now plaguing Onana, who was brought in to replace the club legend.
Whatever misgivings Ten Hag and United fans had over De Gea, Onana's teething problems have certainly endorsed the old adage of 'you don't know what you've got until it's gone'. De Gea had become something of a liability in his final season, with glaring individual errors against Brentford, Sevilla and West Ham finally convincing Ten Hag he needed a new man between the posts.
United's Adidas home shirt is made up of the same colour of the city's iconic red rose and features a black collar. The collar also features a dash of both red and white, giving it a slick and modernised look.
But as Ten Hag uses the international break to mull over the issues he must resolve at United to get their season back on track, Onana will be at the forefront of his mind. Ten Hag got rid of De Gea because he could not use his feet, now he has one in Onana who, for the time being at least, cannot use his hands.
That irony will not be lost on De Gea as he contemplates his next career move.
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