It's official. David de Gea has played his final match for Manchester United.
The Spaniard's exit has perhaps been overdue, but despite knowing for a long time that he won't be their first choice anymore, United have managed to horribly mishandle his departure when he deserved a far better farewell.
For all of his flaws, De Gea is a modern United legend and arguably the greatest goalkeeper in the history of the club. His efforts deserved to be recognised by a celebration of these achievements, and they would have been had the club acted swiftly in the latter stages of last season.
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Also read: United optimistic of Onana deal after De Gea exit
"You deserved to say goodbye at the stadium will all the fans cheering you for all the beautiful memories," Bruno Fernandes wrote of his close friend. Once again, United have been reactive rather than proactive in the transfer window.
United's hesitancy has cost them greatly in recent years, and even after De Gea's departure, there is an underlying fear that it could come back to haunt them again.
They are optimistic about the prospect of signing Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana as his replacement and hope to have a deal completed in time for their tour of the US later this month. It is easier said than done.
United are at a more advanced stage of signing a new goalkeeper than a striker, but sources say a deal for Onana is not imminent and a compromise is required on Inter's asking price, but positive discussions have been held.
The problem is that United's search for a goalkeeper has now become even more of a priority, and the selling clubs hold all the power over what happens next.
John Murtough will look to 'hold firm' over Onana's asking price, just as he did to complete a deal for Mason Mount, and with funds at a premium, United will likely look to pay as little as possible upfront and make up the rest of the fee in add-ons.
It's a different situation, though. Mount was entering the final year of his deal at Chelsea and had to be sold to avoid losing him for nothing, but Onana still has another four years remaining on his Inter contract.
The Serie A club is under pressure to balance the books this summer if they want to reinvest in their squad, though selling the Cameroonian goalkeeper is not necessarily a necessity if that is to happen.
“Right now, Onana is Inter’s goalkeeper," Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio said earlier this week. "He’s one of the strengths of the team and we would like to continue with strong players. If opportunities arise, we’ll evaluate and listen, but up till now, they haven’t arrived or haven’t met our expectations."
Inter are in a position where they can still hold firm over Onana's valuation, and with United now in desperate need of signing a goalkeeper, they might not be able to hold out for a lower fee as they would have liked to have done.
There is also the element of time being against United. Although they have the better part of two months to complete any transfer business, Ten Hag's priority is to get any key signings in as early as possible so that they are up to speed for the new season.
United want to have a new goalkeeper in place by the time they set off on their US tour, meaning there are only 10 days left to meet this self-imposed deadline before they head stateside.
It means they might just have to accept the demands placed by Inter to ensure a deal can be completed as quickly as possible, with the fear that prolonged discussions could irritate the Italian club and even cause them to ask for more.
United's own decision-making and indecisiveness have left them in the awkward position of bidding farewell to their first-choice goalkeeper far later than they should have, with no replacement ready to take his place.
They made the right decision but handled it the wrong way.
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