Diogo Dalot responds to De Gea’s message as Man United homecoming looms
Diogo Dalot has responded to a message from David De Gea following his return to England as the Spanish stopper nears a return to Manchester United.
De Gea proved himself as one of the best goalkeepers in world football during his 12-year spell at Old Trafford after joining Man United from Atletico Madrid in 2011.
The Spaniard helped the Red Devils win the Premier League in 2013, as well as the FA Cup, the EFL Cup on two occasions and the Europa League, and while he was lauded as a top keeper in his early years at the club, his form took a dip as time went on and United struggled to return to their former glory.
He left the club at the end of his contract in 2023 after making 545 appearances in between the sticks, and joined Serie A outfit Fiorentina in 2024, going on to impress in Italy ever since.
De Gea has been rumoured to be a target for United this summer amid uncertainty around Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir, and Red Devils right-back Dalot has now responded to him online as he edges closer to a return to Old Trafford.
De Gea shares England tour update ahead of Man United clash
Fiorentina are preparing for the new Serie A campaign with a pre-season tour of England, with Claudio Ranieri’s side training at St George’s Park [Fiorentina] ahead of fixtures against Leicester City, Nottingham Forest and Man United.
De Gea will be back at Old Trafford to take on United on Saturday, 9 August, and he took to Instagram on Wednesday (30 July) to share a message marking his return to the United Kingdom, saying: “Back on familiar ground” with an England flag emoji.
His post was liked by former Red Devils teammate Dalot, as well as Marcus Rashford, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Jack Butland and Sam Johnstone, among others.
Man United to sell Bayindir when Onana is fit
Football Insider verdict
With De Gea unlikely to return to play under Ruben Amorim, it remains to be seen who United will turn to solve their goalkeeping issues this summer, and if they will sanction a sale of either Onana or Bayindir.
The Cameroonian international has not particularly impressed as the Red Devils’ first-choice keeper over the last two seasons, but his lack of strong competition in Bayindir has meant that both of the managers he has played under for United have had to hand him consistent chances to prove himself.
| Player | Appearances | Goals conceded | Clean sheets |
| Andre Onana | 101 | 148 | 24 |
| Altay Bayindir | 11 | 20 | 3 |
The Turkish international conceded four goals against Newcastle and Brentford respectively after Onana was dropped by Amorim towards the end of the last campaign, and even benefitted from a controversial final-day decision in their game against Aston Villa when Morgan Rogers was deemed to have fouled him before scoring.
Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson has told Football Insider that the Red Devils are doing all they can to sign Emi Martinez, so Bayindir’s future surely lies away from the club, but it does seem unlikely that he will leave right now with Onana out through injury and veteran keeper Tom Heaton as his only competition.
Instead, if the Red Devils do get a deal done for Martinez and the Cameroonian international returns to action as planned in August, then Bayindir could find himself on his way out late on in the transfer window, rather than in the next two weeks.