<p>As part of their goalkeeping overhaul, Barcelona is targeting a significant coup: former United goalkeeper David de Gea for free. After <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/de-gea-willing-to-discuss-potential-move-to-newcastle-20231205-WST-474947.html">De Gea</a>‘s unexpected nine-month spell without a club, the LaLiga giant is eager to acquire the seasoned goalkeeper.</p>



<p>The 33-year-old is now without a club, so <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/barcelona-tv-schedule/">Barcelona</a> view this as a chance to sign him for free. Given the club’s financial restrictions and the possible advantages of getting an experienced goalie for free, this move is in line with their strategic strategy.</p>



<p>Deco and his Blaugrana transfer staff are monitoring the goalkeeper market closely in preparation for the summer transfer window. This follows discussions about the potential sale of Iñaki Peña.</p>



<h2>Future uncertain for backup?</h2>



<p>Only a year and a half ago, Barcelona extended goalkeeper Peña’s contract by three more years. In May, the Catalans were able to extend the 24-year-old’s contract until 2026, securing his future with the club. His previous deal was to expire after the previous season.</p>



<p>But there are already dark clouds over the future of the La Masia graduate, according to reports coming from Spain. <a href="https://www.mundodeportivo.com/us/en/20240227/679605/gea-on-barcelona-s-radar-for-goalkeeping-reinforcement.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mundo Deportivo</a> reports that the club is now discussing whether or not the 24-year-old will remain after the summer.</p>



<p>Because of this, speculation is growing as to whether Barcelona will keep him on as Ter Stegen’s backup or seek a more seasoned candidate. The other side of this is the worry that Peña may want to go in pursuit of more.</p>



<p>Upon Ter Stegen’s comeback, he fell back to second place. The German had surgery to repair a back injury he sustained during the November international break. He was sidelined until earlier this month but returned for February 11’s match against Granada.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="670" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20240228_WST_492035_De-Gea-free-move-1200x670_8c676178.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=670" alt="" class="wp-image-492058" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/02/De-Gea-free-move-1200x670.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/02/De-Gea-free-move-300x168.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/02/De-Gea-free-move-768x429.jpg 768w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/02/De-Gea-free-move.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></figure>



<p>The 31-year-old has now made appearances in three consecutive LaLiga matches for Xavi Hernandez’s side. He also played in February 21’s opening leg of their Champions League last-16 encounter against Napoli.</p>



<h2>Will De Gea agree to play second fiddle?</h2>



<p>Thus, according to the report, Barcelona is reportedly thinking about making a bid for the former <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/manchester-united-tv-schedule/">Manchester United</a> goalie, De Gea. They see him as the perfect addition to their inexperienced goalkeeping department.</p>



<p>As far as the Catalan giants are concerned, he would be an ideal complement to current starting goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Whether the veteran is interested in <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/de-gea-to-make-long-awaited-return-where-will-he-play-next-20230920-WST-457449.html">playing second fiddle</a> at this point in his career is an open question, but he would have to be if he moved to Camp Nou.</p>



<p>After his contract with the Premier League side ended last summer, De Gea was free to pursue other opportunities. Having agreed a new deal at Old Trafford, the club revoked it and offered him a new one at a lesser salary; the Spaniard eventually decided to depart after 12 years with the club.</p>



<p><em>PHOTOS: IMAGO</em>.</p>

De Gea set for return to play with European giants

As part of their goalkeeping overhaul, Barcelona is targeting a significant coup: Former United goalkeeper David de Gea for free.


<p>David De Gea may be on the verge of a comeback to the field with Spanish side Real Betis. Manchester United released its iconic goalkeeper at the end of the 2022/23 season.</p>



<p>The Spaniard shocked fans with his departure from Manchester United after more than a decade of service. The 32-year-old experienced goalie had previously thrived in years when the Red Devils were not at their best.</p>



<p>However, he had visible trouble adapting to the expectations of <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/brighton-thrash-man-united-to-pile-misery-on-ten-hag-20230916-WST-456674.html">Erik ten Hag</a>. The Dutch manager insists that his goalkeepers play out from the back. <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/emotional-reason-leads-david-de-gea-to-turn-down-inter-move-20230721-WST-444561.html">De Gea</a> committed several costly blunders last season in the last year of his contract. Then, ten Hag started looking for a new starting goalkeeper.</p>



<h5>Onana struggling in role to replace De Gea</h5>



<p>United acquired Andre Onana from Inter for a reported $49 million. This was only weeks after David de Gea declared his departure from the club. In spite of this widespread praise, the Cameroon international is off to a lackluster start at Old Trafford</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🗣️ "Replacing David [de Gea] is not something easy…"<br><br>Andre Onana reflects on his first few games as Manchester United&apos;s new number one 🧤🔴 <a href="https://t.co/6JzqbYHKzp">pic.twitter.com/6JzqbYHKzp</a></p>— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/SkySportsNews/status/1704477768983916631?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 20, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>On the other hand, despite his impressive resume, De Gea has been unable to find a club. After 545 games with United, the Spanish international kept 190 clean sheets and was awarded the Premier League’s Golden Glove trophy.</p>



<p>Since departing Old Trafford, the 32-year-old keeper has reportedly turned down many offers. Among those proposals were transfers to European powerhouses <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/harry-kanes-bayern-munich-may-have-found-its-goalkeeper-20230814-WST-450105.html">Bayern Munich</a> and <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/real-madrid-lose-courtois-to-acl-injury-who-will-replace-him-20230811-WST-449407.html">Real Madrid</a>, both of which ultimately fell through.</p>



<h2>Real Betis plots move for de Gea</h2>



<p>But it seems like he is getting ready to return to the game now. <a href="https://www.fichajes.net/noticias/gea-mira-club-espanol-ultima-oportunidad-20230917.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fichajes</a>, a Spanish media site, reports that Real Betis may provide the 32-year-old a way back into the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/la-liga-tv-schedule/">Spanish La Liga</a>.</p>



<p>Following Betis’ failed negotiations to sign former Manchester City ace Claudio Bravo, they now have a significant advantage. The Basque side is said to have made De Gea a contract offer, and the goalkeeper is considering it after rejecting offers from other clubs.</p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / Focus Images</em></p>


De Gea to make long-awaited return: Where will he play next?

Although goalkeeper David De Gea has been out of the game since being released by Manchester United earlier this summer, he may soon return.

<div id="attachment_362991" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div><p id="caption-attachment-362991" class="wp-caption-text">Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images</p></div>
<p>Manchester United depended on goalkeeper David de Gea’s dominance for several years.</p>
<p>He won a slate of titles individually and for the team while garnering great aplomb for his efforts. Furthermore, de Gea racked up an astonishing 45 caps for the Spanish national team.</p>
<p>But, for a year or two, it looked like de Gea was <a href="https:\/\/www.youtube.com/watch?v=366PGHPSJVM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unfit to be in goal</a> for the Red Devils and Spain alike. In the 2018/19 campaign, de Gea only kept seven clean sheets in the Premier League. A year later, de Gea put up a mediocre season. His 19/20 season with Manchester United was reminiscent of earlier seasons, proving his Premier League dominance with a host of eye-opening stats.</p>
<p>Last year, de Gea missed matches due to the birth of his child. His absence meant that his understudy, Dean Henderson, would be the first-choice keeper for the Red Devils. Yet, de Gea still did well, even if he did not bring his show-stopping performances to the Premiership. He was a driving force in his runner-up finish in the Europa League.</p>
<p>This year, he is making a difference for the Old Trafford club. Although United consistently faces dilemmas, de Gea is deservingly <a href="https:\/\/www.espn.com/soccer/manchester-united-engman_utd/story/4545232/man-uniteds-david-de-gea-9-10ralf-rangnick-7-10-for-narrow-win-at-norwich" target="_blank" rel="noopener">receiving praise</a>. Performances against Villarreal, Wolves, and Norwich affirm de Gea’s dominance in goal.</p>
<p>De Gea is a different keeper than the youthful face that we saw patrolling the posts for Atletico Madrid. He is wiser, more dependable, and a genuine threat to opposing attackers. He ranks near the top in <a href="https:\/\/fbref.com/en/players/7ba6d84e/David-de-Gea" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most goalkeeping categories</a>. De Gea is the anchor of a dreadful Manchester United defense and plays a big part in its success.</p>
<p>His performances could have lasting impacts for the club. On surface, they are great. However, this could handicap Manchester United a few years down the road.</p>
<h3>de Gea’s dominance, expanded</h3>
<p>Manchester United is sixth in the Premier League with 27 points. They await a fixture with reigning LaLiga champions Atletico Madrid in the <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2021/12/13/champions-league-last-16-draw-at-a-glance/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Champions League</a>. In the third round of the FA Cup, the Red Devils will face Aston Villa.</p>
<p>None of those are easy positions or matchups. David de Gea knows his role is essential in the next two months of fixtures. If things go poorly, it could spell doom for the Red Devils.</p>
<p>David de Gea is one of the only highlights in an injury-plagued United defense. When United fails, whether from <a href="https:\/\/www.theguardian.com/football/2021/nov/20/manchester-united-have-bigger-problems-than-just-solskjaer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poor management or a fatigued back-line</a>, de Gea is there to rescue his side.</p>
<p><a href="https:\/\/fbref.com/en/players/7ba6d84e/David-de-Gea" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FBREF’s catalog of stats</a> supports de Gea’s dominance. He racked up 50 saves out of 73 shots on target for a 68.5% save rate. The 31-year-old forced three out of four penalty kicks away. De Gea’s clean sheet percentage is a passable 31.</p>
<p>The argument for or against de Gea swings both ways. One could argue that his stats are only weighed down by his <a href="https:\/\/www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/man-united-defence-solskjaer-record-22119586" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lackluster defense</a>, another could say his stats go up because he is called into action so frequently. Regardless, de Gea is showing his class in Old Trafford time and time again.</p>
<p>We can look at his dramatic outing against Villarreal as proof of his reliability. De Gea <a href="https:\/\/www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKsVe-TM_DU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saved six shots</a> to hold the Europa League champions to one goal. By contrast, Villarreal was expected to score around four goals.</p>
<p>De Gea saved five shots to preserve his <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2021/08/29/greenwood-gets-man-utd-off-the-hook-at-wolves/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first clean sheet</a> against Wolves. The performance yielded man of the match honors.</p>
<p>The Spaniard is playing at the top of his game, and he will likely do so throughout 2022. Look out for de Gea’s next match, as he will look to earn his fifth clean sheet against Newcastle.</p>
<h3>Club and country</h3>
<p>De Gea justified his position as the first-choice stopper for United. Yet, this raises questions for Dean Henderson, who has only played two senior matches for the Red Devils. He started in United’s EFL Cup defeat to West Ham and played around 70 minutes in a draw Young Boys. The 24-year-old is vocal in his desire to leave Old Trafford for greener pastures, and Henderson will likely leave. Yet Henderson has been linked with many clubs. Henderson could even <a href="https:\/\/www.planetsport.com/soccer/features/newcastle-west-ham-next-wantaway-man-utd-goalkeeper-dean-henderson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">depart in the winter transfer window</a>!</p>
<p>His form also raises questions on how La Roja manager Luis Enrique will choose his starting goalkeeper. De Gea is in the three-person goalkeeping rotation with Athletic Club keeper Unai Simon and Brighton stopper Robert Sanchez.</p>
<p>Sanchez, who has only received one cap, will not see many opportunities. Likely, de Gea will not play a lot either. Unai Simon, a talisman for club and country, will play the most out of three. He has been the first-choice keeper since Euro 2020 and will continue to be the starting keeper unless an injury forces him out of play.</p>
<p>De Gea will compete for playing time and more caps ahead of an exciting <a href="https:\/\/www.bbc.com/sport/football/59687769" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nations League draw</a> that sees Spain drawn against Portugal, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic.</p>
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David de Gea's dominance has propelled United to results. He must continue his performances to help his club reach their top-four goals.

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