
Manchester United
Premier League • England
Man Utd ‘privately tipped-off’ over shock signing as ‘contact’ already made

Ruben Amorim could bring a former Man Utd star back to Old Trafford
Manchester United have reportedly had a ‘private tip-off’ over the potential shock signing of a former star, who has already hinted that an eye-opening return to Old Trafford could be on the cards.
United’s priority so far this summer has been on attacking reinforcements, with the Red Devils spending almost £200m on bringing in Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko to add more firepower to Ruben Amorim’s misfiring frontline.
However, the goalkeeper position remains a concern going into the 2025/26 campaign, with Amorim still said to be not fully convinced about his current options, with neither Andre Onana nor Altay Bayindir inspiring confidence at Man Utd.
Indeed, the situation has led to continuous links to Aston Villa stopper Emiliano Martinez and, more latterly, PSG star Gianluigi Donnarumma after the French giants surprisingly made the outstanding Italy international available for sale.
While Onana is expected to get the nod for the Premier League opener against Arsenal on Sunday, Amorim stopped short of confirming his No.1 for the game, which was hardly a show of confidence
Speaking at his press conference for the game, when asked if Onana would start against Arsenal, the Red Devils boss said: “It’s like the other players. Everyone has to win the place. So I’m not going to say if one player is number one. He’s ready to go to the game. Let’s wait. You will know Sunday.”
Onana missed the entirety of United’s pre-season tour through injury, leading to more rumours of a potential change in United’s keeper department – and now The Sun reports ‘discreet background calls’ about a return for David de Gea have been made.
According to the report, United have been ‘tipped off’ that their former No. 1 has a clause in his Fiorentina contract allowing him to leave for a ‘relatively small sum’.
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De Gea hints at Man Utd return
De Gea spent the 2023/24 campaign as a free agent after being released by United but joined Serie A side Fiorentina this time last year.
The Spaniard spent 12 years at Old Trafford, establishing himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the club’s history in over 500 appearances and winning United’s Player of the Year award four times.
De Gea actually made an emotional return to Old Trafford last weekend in a pre-season friendly and later posted on social media that ‘out paths may cross again’ in a tease over a potential return.
“A magical moment for me and my family to come back to Old Trafford – my home,” he said.
“From the bottom of my heart – I want to say thank you for the reception – for all the love you showed me.
“To the supporters that never stopped being with me throughout my time at this club. Our paths may cross again.”
Former United star Paul Parker insisted last season that his old club made a ‘massive mistake’ letting De Gea move on, amid Onana’s continued struggles.
“Look at the goalkeeper, I think they made a massive mistake letting David de Gea go so quickly,” he said.
“They could have kept him there, built a team and then discussed bringing in a new goalkeeper. For me, it’s more important for a goalkeeper to use his hands rather than his feet.”
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