Inside David De Gea's lush Tuscan life as Man Utd fans ask why they ever sold him
David De Gea left Manchester United with a whimper in 2023, and he's since started to rebuild his career in Florence as Red Devils fans ask why they ever sold him
There a few places on the planet more beautiful than Florence - the cities red tiled roofs are almost as iconic as the stunning Duomo, which can be seen from across the city.
It's fitting that David De Gea has chosen the home of the Italian Renaissance to rebuild his career.
De Gea left Manchester United with a whimper in the summer of 2023 - he couldn't find a club for 12 months, before signing on the dotted line under the Tuscan sun.
It was shaky start for the Spaniard at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.
However, the Tuscan city full of medieval romance has fallen in love with its new modern hero.
"It has been hugely successful," Alasdair Mackenzie, an Italian football expert, told the Manchester Evening News when asked about De Gea's start to life on the peninsula.
"They have taken everyone by surprise. They are a club who have often had purple patches but never really been able to do it consistently in a league season.
"In terms of De Gea's impact, he was in and out of the team as he got up to speed but by now he has taken that spot and made it his own.
"He has been playing really well and even got an assist for one of Moise Kean's goals. He is really embracing the decision he has made.
"It must seem fantastic to him because he has come into the club at a really good time and optimism is really high.
"He has settled down into it. He has not been wanting to give interviews and speak to the media and seems to be just focusing on getting himself back to where he used to be.
"He put out a tweet a few weeks saying born in Spain, made in Manchester, loving life in Italy. I think that pretty much sums it up to be honest."
De Gea isn't alone in Tuscany, and he's regularly joined by his stunning wife Edurne - who splits here time between Spain and Italy.
"We have been like this for fourteen years. Distance is not a problem, we live our life at a distance because our work has required it," Edurne joked when asked about their relationship.
"It has happened that his work is outside of Spain and mine is in Madrid."
La Viola, so often the bridesmaid's of Italian football, are on an upwards march thanks to De Gea's shot-stopping abilities and the upturn in form from Moise Kean and Albert Gudmundsson.
And as De Gea soares in Florence, his replacement, Andre Onana, has only started to suffer at Old Trafford.
Onana's latest error, gifting James Maddison the only game of the game during their clash with Tottenham on Sunday, had fans questioning why they let De Gea go.
One fan fumed: "Getting rid of De Gea for Onana was the biggest mistake we ever did as a club. We can't keep on pretending..."
"Onana should be FIRST out of the door come the summer," a second admitted. And another added: "Onana has been responsible for more goals conceded than De Gea ever was!"