Manchester United legend David de Gea has seen a further blow in his pursuit for a new club after his exit from Old Trafford last summer.
De Gea, who won last season’s Premier League Golden Glove, left United at the end of the previous campaign as a free agent.
The 33-year-old Spaniard initially appeared keen to stay at Old Trafford and was reportedly set to take a pay cut in a bid to sign a new deal with United.
However, talks over a new contract between both parties eventually broke down and United’s former No 1 was shown the door at Old Trafford.
United manager Erik ten Hag was subsequently reunited with former Ajax star Andre Onana, who arrived at the Red Devils as De Gea’s successor between the sticks.
De Gea has been without a club since his time at United came to an end, despite attracting interest from Europe and Saudi Arabia.
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Manuel Pellegrini responds to De Gea speculation
De Gea has been recently linked with a return to Spain and was believed to be ‘excited’ about the prospect of signing for La Liga side Real Betis.
According to the Manchester Evening News, the ex-Spain international’s arrival at Betis would have provided cover for injured duo Claudio Bravo and Rui Silva.
Betis manager Manuel Pellegrini turned to reserve shot-stopper Fran Vieites in his side’s 1-1 draw with Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan on Sunday.
However, Pellegrini has now downplayed the idea of the La Liga club making a move for United legend De Gea, despite his current injury woes at Betis.
When asked about the potential of signing De Gea, he responded: “If you ask me, I would say I don’t think so.
“I think what happened with Fran was more or less what we expected from him.
“He trains every day, he is a goalkeeper who has many abilities, he did not have the slightest responsibility for the goal, he was calm and, for me, it was a very good performance.
“We know how difficult it is to practically debut in professional football with everything that the outside environment entails.”
De Gea’s wilderness period continues
Despite being out of action since last summer, De Gea appears to be keen to return to first-team football and the Spaniard hasn’t hinted at retirement so far.
De Gea is only 33 and could continue to play on for some time in his club career, so long as the ex-United star manages to find a team that wants his services.
It does come as a surprise that the four-time Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year recipient is still a free agent, especially as he can still play at the top level.
Only time will tell what De Gea’s next move will be, but his options are limited and his time away from the pitch will be something that he would want to avoid.
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