Former Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea will return to Old Trafford for the first time since his exit in July 2023
David de Gea and Bruno Fernandes pictured together during Manchester United training in 2023
David de Gea and Bruno Fernandes pictured together during Manchester United training in 2023
Former Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea has sent some fighting talk to Bruno Fernandes ahead of his first return to Old Trafford since his exit.
De Gea spent 12 years at Old Trafford accumulating 545 appearances for United and winning the Premier League, Europa League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup in his time at the club. In 2023, his association with the Reds ended after a prolonged saga at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.
Then manager Erik ten Hag chose to replace De Gea as number one which led the Spaniard to choose not to renew his contract at the club. Andre Onana was signed as De Gea's replacement as Ten Hag looked to change the focus towards a more measured, distribution system from the back.
United's former No.1 missed the entirety of the 2023/24 campaign as he decided what he would wish to do next. He did return to Manchester to train at National League club Altrincham before making the move to Fiorentina last summer.
In the 2024/25 campaign, Ten Hag left United and De Gea established himself as the first choice for the Serie A club. Now, the 34-year-old returns to the Reds on Saturday as Fiorentina face Ruben Amorim's team in the last pre-season fixture.
It is likely to be an emotional afternoon for De Gea who will reunite with some old friends including Fernandes. The captain has shared his excitement about facing off with the goalkeeper on social media, and now De Gea has sent a light-hearted jibe at the midfielder ahead of the game.
In a video shared by United's social media team, De Gea said: "As you know I am coming back to your home. For sure, it is going to be special for me.
"Bruno, you know you cannot score against me and if you score, it’s because I let you score so people will keep singing your name. No but, obviously, I cannot wait to see you my friend.
"I can’t wait to see you all at Old Trafford. So I’ll be there on Saturday, see you soon."
United have confirmed that a pre-match presentation will be made to De Gea to mark his return to the club. More than 50,000 tickets have been sold for the fixture as United fans get their final look at their team before next week's opener against Arsenal at Old Trafford.
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