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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
George Smith

David de Gea sends message to Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba as Manchester United exits confirmed

Goalkeeper David de Gea has wished Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba all the very best for the future after their exits from Manchester United were confirmed on Wednesday.

Both players are out of contract at Old Trafford this summer and will be released when their deals expire on June 30. They will both become free agents and be available to sign for a new club for free.

For Lingard, it brings his 22-year association with United to an end, having joined the club's academy at the age of just seven-years-old. He made 232 appearances for his boyhood club, scoring 35 goals, as well as helping them win four major trophies.

READ MORE: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was wrong about Paul Pogba at Manchester United

Pogba, meanwhile, will leave the club for a second time, six years after he returned to Old Trafford in a record-breaking £89million deal from Juventus. It is the second time that he will leave United on a free transfer, following his previous departure in 2012.

The Frenchman often struggled to live up to expectation following his return to the club and United never saw a return on their big-money investment. He won just two trophies during his second stint in M16, helping the club win the League Cup and Europa League in 2016/17.

Although both players' exits have been expected, it has marked the end of an era for both of them, especially Lingard, who will now get the chance to go elsewhere and earn regular game time. And whatever the future holds for both of them, De Gea has wished them every success.

"Two special guys and characters, they gave so much to this football club," De Gea posted on Instagram. "We have so many teammates in this sport, we achieved a lot together and created amazing memories.

"I hope you both get everything you wish for in the future."

Pogba is already being touted to seal a return to Juventus. He spent four years with the Italian giants during his last spell at the club and they have been installed as the favourites to secure his signature for a second time.

Lingard, unsurprisingly, has a plethora of suitors, including former loan club West Ham, as well as Newcastle. The Magpies wanted to sign him in January but saw their efforts blocked as the window neared its conclusion.

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