David de Gea close to long-awaited return to football after ruling out one destination

David de Gea is close to a return to football after over a year out of the game, although it will not be to the Premier League.

The goalkeeper left Manchester United when his contract expired at the end of the 2022/23 season, bringing to an end a 12-year stay at Old Trafford.

Unquestionably still capable of playing at a high level, it was expected that the Spain international would be signed up pretty quickly and wearing the gloves again.

However, he sat out the entirety of last season and remains without a club, with his last game being Manchester United’s 2023 FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City.

The 33-year-old has certainly not retired, though, and it looks like he will join a new club for the forthcoming season.

The Spaniard teased an announcement on Saturday when he tweeted an hourglass emoji, although there was no more information on the social media post.

The Athletic report that De Gea has a string of options available to him, including clubs in Saudi Arabia, America and Italy.

There has also been interest in him from an English club, but after such a lengthy stint at Manchester United he does not want to move to another side in the same country.

The report states that De Gea expects to have news to give on his future in the coming days.

De Gea has been hinting at a return to action for a while, posting an impressive save he made in training back in May, with the caption: ‘Loading…’

While he has been enjoying himself with his family during his spell without a club, he has clearly still been working hard to stay ready when an opportunity arrives.

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