David de Gea Continues Stunning Career Revival as Fiorentina Draw With Juventus

After a promising start to the season for Andre Onana – with four clean sheets in Manchester United’s first five Premier League matches, sparking hope among fans that last season’s goalkeeping woes were behind them – the Cameroon international’s recent struggles under Ruben Amorim have quickly reignited doubts, leading the club back to square one in their search for stability between the posts.

Onana and backup keeper Altay Bayindir have conceded eight goals across United’s last three games. More concerning, the pair have inadvertently ushered in a golden era of Olimpico goals (scored directly from corners), with Son Heung-min and Matheus Cunha both exposing their vulnerability in a week that underscored the fragility of United’s defence.

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This glaring weakness, along with others – including Kobbie Mainoo’s dip in form – has left the Red Devils stranded in 14th place in the Premier League after 18 games. Amorim’s side have managed just one win in their last five league outings – a poor run stretching back to the start of December. During this slog, the United faithful enjoy taking part in nostalgia from the Sir Alex Ferguson years.

Reflecting on the past allows Old Trafford supporters to escape the harsh reality of their club’s current struggles. One former player who has added to that sense of nostalgia this season is David de Gea, now thriving at Fiorentina after his release from United in July 2023. The Spaniard continues to prove his worth, and many of his former fans are calling for his return.

De Gea’s Rebirth Continued Against Juventus

The 34-year-old turned back the clock with a stunning save to deny Dusan Vlahovic

De Gea has made a habit of influencing football matches single-handedly. This was evident in 2017 when his remarkable 14-save performance against Arsenal secured a 3-1 victory for Jose Mourinho’s side, setting a new Premier League record and cementing his place in history with one of the finest goalkeeping displays ever seen.

Although he may be in his mid-30s now, the Spaniard still has the ability to shine in matches where his side is often considered the underdog. In Fiorentina’s recent 2-2 draw against Juventus, De Gea made three crucial saves from shots inside the box. His impressive stats of 18 successful passes and six accurate long balls further highlighted his dominant performance as Fiorentina battled back to secure a hard-earned draw against the 36-time league champions.

In particular, his outstretched, reaction save to deny Dusan Vlahovic a winner late into the night is the talk of the town at the minute. The Serbian forward has 12 goals in all competitions this season, and when he unleashed a powerful effort into the near-post, few would have predicted a veteran goalkeeper of De Gea’s ilk to have the speed to match it. Watch the extraordinary save below:

The acrobatic save was a clear reminder of De Gea’s quality between the posts. While one might assume it was just a fleeting moment in the former Spanish international’s final seasons in a top European league, Fiorentina fans will tell you this has been a consistent theme in his performances throughout the 2024/25 campaign.

In his second appearance in 18 months, after taking a year to consider his next move following the expiration of his contract with Manchester United, De Gea delivered a Man of the Match performance as nine-man Fiorentina secured a spot in the Europa Conference League with a win over Puskas Academia.

Since then, he has featured in 14 Serie A matches, making 12 saves and keeping six clean sheets, helping La Viola climb to fifth place—partly thanks to his remarkable rennaissance.

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United Fans Regretting De Gea’s Exit

Would the Spaniard currently be an upgrade on Andre Onana?

A much-welcomed byproduct of De Gea’s astonishing career revival is that he has been reminded of the love he received while at United. Certainly, while he was often underrated by rival fans, the outpouring of adoration he still receives from the Old Trafford faithful while he plies his trade in Italy is a show of just how much he was valued at the club he earned a spot in four PFA Team of the Seasons with.

Amid the ongoing crisis in the goalkeeping department in the northwest of England, De Gea is even being urged to return to the club. “Just saying, Van der Sar was already 34 when we picked him up. This is De Gea at the same age. Now tell me with a straight face Onana and Bayindir are better. I’d have him back in a heartbeat,” one fan posted on X.

A second user remarked: “Even with his errors before, he is better than Onana”, while a third added: “People were so focused on his flaws that they completely forgot how many games he won for Manchester United.” A fourth said: “I still cannot believe we offloaded David de Gea on a free like he wasn’t our best player of the last decade.”

Clearly, this indicates that many United fans lack confidence in Onana, despite his Champions League final appearance with Inter Milan, as a reliable long-term successor to De Gea. While he has matched his predecessor’s clean sheet tally this season, errors have cast doubt on his ability to secure the role. Onana will be hoping to prove himself once again in upcoming matches against Newcastle United, Liverpool, and Arsenal.

Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt (correct as of 30/12/2024).