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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has shown he is not afraid to take the big decisions even if it means going against certain fan-favourites.
In his first season, Cristiano Ronaldo was axed from the team and subsequently, his contract was terminated while he also dropped Marcus Rashford despite the Mancunian being the top scorer for his side.
This season, he took away the captaincy from Harry Maguire and brought in Andre Onana as the new keeper, forcing David de Gea to leave the club after 12 years.
The Spaniard struggled to play out from the back, either giving the ball away cheaply or hoofing it long straight to the opposition, something not in line with the manager’s demands.
DDG was forced to leave United
To add to his woes with the ball at his feet, his normally superior shot-stopping ability also fell short in crucial moments leading to United’s exit in the Europa League and their loss to Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
While a new contract was offered to the Spanish international, Ten Hag instructed the club to rescind the offer following his profile errors at Wembley.
Eventually, De Gea, who even won the Golden Glove, quit the club upon the expiration of his contract as he felt he deserved more than a backup role.
While the nature of his exit was not the way United should have handled it considering his legendary status, the club did ultimately do the right thing moving on from the Spaniard.
The 32-year-old still remains a free agent despite links with the likes of Real Madrid, Inter Milan, and Bayern Munich during the summer transfer window.
His wage demands had caused Inter to look elsewhere and now it seems a move to Saudi Arabia could also be off the tables.
While there were reports that De Gea was a target for a few Saudi clubs, the fact that nothing is still out in the media with the transfer window ending on September 7, makes it seem like he has missed the boat.
AS have indicated that if the former Atletico Madrid goalie wants to play football, he could be forced to take an even more exotic route.
What next for DDG with time running out
“Time is running out for David de Gea if he does not want to stay a few months without the possibility of playing football.
The choice for the goalkeeper, if he does not want to be stopped until the winter market opens, goes through Arabia or he could accept the adventure of exotic destinations.
“Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, or even Mexico are possibilities that are on the table since they still keep their markets open until next week.”
While Turkey remains an option, the chance to play for Europe is gone now that the deadline for naming squads has passed.
This is a huge fall from grace for the legendary former United keeper and highlights just what an ill-fit he is for teams who look to employ modern keepers.
