De Gea snubbed! Ex-Man Utd goalkeeper's club search continues

Tom Weber

• Updated: 27 Jul 2024 14:22 BST
• 3 min read

Genoa will not be signing David de Gea, according to Italian media.

On Friday, the former Manchester United goalkeeper was the subject of a surprising link to Serie A side Genoa, who are in the market for a goalkeeper following Josep Martinez's departure for Inter.

De Gea, who is still without a club after leaving Old Trafford in June 2023, was said to be "opening up" to the possibility of entering into concrete talks with the Ligurian side.

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The 33-year-old was seemingly intrigued by the project, though nothing genuine had as yet materialised. Now, it has been revealed that this likely won't change anytime soon.

Genoa not keen on De Gea

Coach Alberto Gilardino previously stated that he wants a goalkeeper who is capable with the ball at his feet, which already cast doubt on De Gea's suitability in the wake of the initial links with the club.

Now, Genoa-based newspaper Il Secolo XIX reports that it was not the Serie A side who initiated talks with De Gea but an intermediary who offered the shot-stopper to Gilardino's club.

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Genoa, the outlet, reports are unlikely to make a move for the Spaniard, though they do acknowledge that his signing could open up some intriguing commercial possibilities and create a veritable buzz around the club given his pedigree.

However, the report states that De Gea does not fit the club's idea of who their next goalkeeper should be and signing him would also clash with Genoa's policy of mainly focusing on younger recruits.

Additionally, of course, there is the not-insignificant matter that De Gea has not played competitive football in over a year, which would make signing him a major risk and he likely would not come cheap, either.