David de Gea could make a shock return to Manchester United just three months after leaving the club. The Spaniard ended his 12-year spell with United in July after his contract expired on June 30.
At the time, it looked like he would stay at Old Trafford, but the club withdrew their contract offer, and so De Gea wrote an emotional speech about his departure. Erik ten Hag has chosen to sign Andre Onana from Inter Milan for £43.8 million after working with him at Ajax.
United are understood to have asked De Gea to wait to find a new club until they agree a deal with Onana, who saved a last-minute penalty against Copenhagen on Tuesday night. But despite various connections, the longest-serving goalkeeper in United's history remains a free agent.
And in a surprising development, The Sun's Neil Custis claims the Red Devils are considering bringing De Gea back to the club. The report claims United are ready to offer the 32-year-old a short-term deal due to Onana's impending absence from the Africa Cup of Nations.
When he signed for United, Onana retired from international duty with Cameroon due to disagreements with coach Rigobert Song. However, after 10 months off, the former Barcelona youth product made a big change and was called back to the team in August.
He has played twice since then, and United could be without their first-choice goalkeeper for eight games as they enter the AFCON. The tournament will take place from January 13 to February 11.
Cameroon is placed in Group C with defending champions Gambia, Guinea, and Senegal. United also signed a second goalkeeper, Altay Bayindir, who joined from Fenerbahce for £4.3 million. He has yet to feature for the club.
Their third goalkeeper is Tom Heaton, who returns to United for a second spell. But United fear they may not have enough cover between the sticks in the crucial period. Premier League Golden Glove winner De Gea could be a quick turnaround and was recently reunited with his old Manchester team-mates.
He drove United fans crazy with a photo taken with captain Bruno Fernandes. De Gea, who made 545 appearances, was one of the club's highest earners, with a salary of £375,000 a week before his departure.