Mark Goldbridge believes Manchester United should never have allowed David De Gea to leave, following the goalkeeper’s impressive performance for Fiorentina in Serie A on Sunday evening.
The Spanish shot-stopper saved two penalties in Fiorentina’s 2-1 win over AC Milan, leading his side to their second victory of the season in the Italian league.
In a chaotic encounter between the two teams, three penalties were missed in total. De Gea was named Man of the Match and praised for his ‘superb’ display against the Rossoneri.
The 33-year-old left Manchester United at the end of the 2022/23 season after his contract expired and spent over a year without a club before signing a one-year deal with Fiorentina in August, with an option for an additional season.
Fiorentina’s defensive struggles have seen De Gea concedes nine goals in his first six appearances, keeping just one clean sheet heading into the October international break.
De Gea is currently sixth in terms of minutes played among all Fiorentina players this season, behind Dodo, Moise Kean, Luca Ranieri, Cristiano Biraghi, and Andrea Colpani.
After parting ways with De Gea, who earned £375k-a-week in Manchester, in 2023, Erik ten Hag aimed for a ball-playing goalkeeper by signing Andre Onana, who has had a mixed start to life at Old Trafford.
The Cameroonian’s first season saw him use his ball-playing abilities sparingly, while also struggling with shot-stopping, keeping just nine clean sheets in his debut Premier League campaign and conceding 58 goals.
In contrast, Onana’s second year has been a marked improvement so far, with the goalkeeper appearing more confident between the posts and keeping four clean sheets in his first seven Premier League appearances.
The 28-year-old’s recent performances have been a bright spot in Man United’s otherwise difficult start to the campaign, which sees the Red Devils sitting 14th in the table as they enter the October international break.
De Gea’s outstanding performance for Fiorentina on Sunday night prompted Mark Goldbridge to express his regret over the Spaniard’s departure on X:
Non avrei mai dovuto lasciare andare De Gea.
