David de Gea is at last set to return to professional football after reaching what is described as a “verbal agreement” with Serie A side Fiorentina.

De Gea’s last game was the 2023 FA Cup final for Manchester United, leaving the club as a free agent just weeks later following the withdrawal of a contract offer and failure to agree alternative terms.

At 33, De Gea is by no means old for a goalkeeper, but his departure from Old Trafford after 11 seasons left him without a team. The Spaniard wasn’t short of offers last summer but resisted the lure of the Saudi Pro League in the hope of landing a competitive project in Europe.

It turned into a whole season out of the professional game, one in which De Gea used the time to rest, engage in hobbies and outside business interests, as well as keeping himself fit and tuned with personal training regimes at the home of local non-league club Altrincham.

He was thought to be closing in on a return last month, fielding interest from Saudi Arabia, the United States and Italy, but eventual talks with Genoa failed to yield an agreement.

But where a deal with Genoa didn’t happen, Fiorentina have picked things up. Fabrizio Romano has reported that a verbal agreement is in place with La Viola that should see De Gea sign a one-year contract until 2025 – plus the option of a further season.

His travel to Italy and a medical ahead of completing the move are “booked”.

Fiorentina finished eighth in Serie A last season and reached the Conference League final for the second year in a row, losing out to Olympiacos in May after being beaten by West Ham United in 2023. Ultimately, they have ambitions of getting back into the Champions League for the first time since 2010 and will have been buoyed by seeing Bologna unexpectedly achieve it.

De Gea will compete with Pietro Terracciano for the gloves. The 34-year-old Italian has been number one in Florence since 2022 after a career largely spent as a back-up or at lower league level. With his wealth of experience at the highest level, De Gea would be considered an upgrade, while there could be implications for back-ups Oliver Christensen and Tommaso Martinelli.

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