Juan Mata believes it is a 'sad day' for Manchester United that 'legend David de Gea has departed the club.
The 32-year-old goalkeeper's contract at United expired at the end of June. It was still not out of the question that De Gea could rejoin the club with talks over a new deal expected once his wedding celebrations had finished, but the departure was confirmed on Saturday.
United had wanted to give the Spaniard a deal on reduced wages. That being said, MEN Sport revealed recently that some figures at the club were keen to move on from De Gea, and the club are now focused on signing at least one new goalkeeper, with Inter Milan's Andre Onana at the top of the list.
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De Gea is now seeking a new club after 12 years at United which began when he was signed by Sir Alex Ferguson from Atletico Madrid in 2011. His time at Old Trafford comes to an end after 545 appearances and a trophy haul including the Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Europa League.
The goalkeeper is good friends with fellow Spaniard Mata, who joined United from Chelsea in January 2014 and spent the next eight years at the club before departing last summer. Midfielder Mata has now had his say on De Gea's departure.
Taking to Instagram, Mata hailed his friend as a 'legend' and acknowledged the number of saves he made over the years which helped United. He feels it is a 'sad day' for the Old Trafford club and wished his friend the best.
He wrote: "Don't really want to believe it. The amount of times that you saved us...
"Always professional, always sticking up for the club you love, your home. You deserve the best.
"Sad day for Manchester United. Legend."
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