De Gea Reveals Mystery: Why Did Real Madrid Transfer Fail?

The former Manchester United goalkeeper, David de Gea, has revealed that he will only share the details of his failed transfer to Real Madrid once he retires from professional football. De Gea, currently with Fiorentina, believes that things happen “for a reason”. De Gea’s transfer to Real Madrid was close to being finalized in the summer of 2015, but it ultimately did not materialize due to problems with the documentation. At that time, both clubs blamed each other for the failure of the operation. I will talk about all that when my career is over. When things don’t happen, it’s for a reason. The goalkeeper, in statements to the Italian media Cronache Di Spogliatoio, added: “It was close, but the transfer was not completed… Personally, it went well for me because Manchester is my home.” De Gea arrived at Manchester United in 2011 from Atlético de Madrid, and during his time at the club, he won the Premier League in the 2012-13 season under the management of Sir Alex Ferguson. He also lifted the FA Cup in 2016 and the Europa League in 2017, as well as the Carabao Cup in 2017 and 2023. The Spanish international left United at the end of his contract in 2023, after having played 545 matches with the team. Subsequently, he took a sabbatical year before joining Fiorentina in 2024 as a free agent.

Regarding his time away from football, De Gea commented: “It was one of the best years of my life. That sabbatical did me a lot of good, both mentally and physically: I felt a bit worn out. I felt it was time to stop and come back stronger, and it worked out well.” “It’s true that I had offers from other English clubs, but in my heart, it was impossible to play for another club. I only wanted to play for United because it’s the club where I developed, where I’ve been for most of my career and I’ve had a very good career there. I also had offers from other countries.” De Gea, 34 years old, kept 11 clean sheets in 42 appearances for Fiorentina last season. Recently, he signed a new contract with Fiorentina that will keep him at the club until June 2028.