Manchester United have confirmed that David de Gea has left the club after a 12-year spell at Old Trafford.
The 32-year-old officially became a free agent when his contract expired at the end of June, but the Red Devils were in talks to tie him down to an extension.
However, De Gea would have been forced to accept a significant cut to his previous £375,000 weekly wages, and Erik ten Hag could not guarantee that he would still be the club's number one next season.
As a result, De Gea bids farewell to Old Trafford after acting as Man United's last line of defence for over a decade, and the Spaniard took to social media to reflect on an "unforgettable" period at the Theatre of Dreams.
"I would like to express my unwavering gratitude and appreciation for the love from the last 12 years. We've achieved a lot since my dear Sir Alex Ferguson brought me to this club," De Gea wrote on Instagram.
De Gea came under fire for a number of mistakes last season, but he won a second Premier League Golden Glove with 17 clean sheets in the top flight as Man United finished third in the table to return to the Champions League.
The 32-year-old was also named in the PFA Team of the Year on five occasions, while winning the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year for Man United four times and making the FIFA FIFPro World XI in 2018.
"David leaves Manchester United with the deepest respect and warmest appreciation of everyone associated with the club. To have set new club records for goalkeeper appearances and clean sheets, surpassing Alex Stepney and Peter Schmeichel respectively, shows just how great a player he has been for us," Man United Director of Football John Murtough added.
"Just as important are his qualities as a person, and he will be missed by all of us who have had the privilege of working with him over the past 12 years. David will always be part of the Manchester United family and we look forward to welcoming him back to Old Trafford in future as a legend of the club."
It is unclear what is next in store for De Gea, but his agent is reportedly planning to meet with Fenerbahce chiefs to discuss a possible move to Turkey, while there is also interest from Saudi Arabia.
Man United are expected to sign Inter Milan's Andre Onana as De Gea's successor, and the Red Devils are now said to be on the brink of reaching an agreement for the Cameroonian. body check tags ::
