‘Here we go’… Player who wanted to sign for Newcastle United in January finally has a new club

Add as preferred source on Google

Newcastle United’s goalkeeping department has been a hot topic of conversation for a long time now.

There has been a lot of changes this summer, with two new goalkeepers arriving at Newcastle United.

The Magpies have signed Odysseas Vlachodimos and John Ruddy, although neither player was a top target for Toon officials. Instead, Eddie Howe wanted someone to challenge Nick Pope.

The likes of Giorgi Mamardashvili and Aaron Ramsdale were linked – two goalkeepers who would threaten Pope’s place in the starting XI.

While Pope is an outstanding goalkeeper who has done well in pre-season, there remains doubts over his fitness. Pope is over his shoulder problem, but there will be concerns over a fresh issue given his history with injuries.

And it was that shoulder injury that severely hindered Newcastle last season, with Eddie Howe’s side massively struggling during his absence.

Newcastle United were linked with signing David De Gea after Nick Pope’s injury

Pope suffered a shoulder injury in a 1-0 win over Manchester United in December 2023, and underwent surgery shortly after.

In the aftermath of Pope’s injury, Newcastle began to be linked with signing a replacement. David De Gea was the most heavily linked, with the Spaniard available on a free transfer following his release by Manchester United.

It was even reported that De Gea wanted to sign for Newcastle, but a deal did not come to fruition. There were concerns over the fact that De Gea had been a free agent so long, and Toon officials decided to stick with what they had.

David De Gea finally has a new club

As Newcastle decided to play Martin Dubravka during Pope’s absence, De Gea’s wait for a new employer went on.

But it is a wait that is finally set to come to an end, with Fabrizio Romano sharing details of De Gea’s next move.

Romano has taken to X to state that De Gea is signing a one-year deal with Serie A side Fiorentina, with the option of a further year.

He wrote on X: “David de Gea to Fiorentina, here we go! Verbal agreement in place for former #MUFC goalkeeper. Contract until June 2025 plus option for one more season. Travel & medical booked. Deal done by Spanish agents Jose Lorenzo, Jose Carlos and Italian intermediaries GG11 Agency.”

The 33-year-old has been a free agent for more than a year, so it is good to see him finally find a new club following his Manchester United exit in 2023.

But Newcastle never felt like a viable option for the Premier League winner at the start of the year. His wages surely would have been too much, while he would have wanted more than just a short-term contract until the end of the season.

However, goalkeeper was a real problem position for Newcastle last season, with Dubravka really struggling to fill the void left by Pope. He changed the way that the Magpies defended, but not for the better.

Whether things would have been better with De Gea in between the sticks remains to be seen, but he is now set to restart his career in Italy after 12 months out of the game.