It's a straightforward task on paper and yet, countless times, football clubs struggle to get it right. Not many players turn out 545 times for one club, so after all that time there is only one thing you ever want to happen: make sure it ends on the right note. Instead, David De Gea's exit from Manchester United will be remembered as a bit of a sorry mess.
And the Spaniard, regardless of his errors between the sticks over the last two years, deserved better than that. He will, forever, be in the conversation around United's greatest-ever goalkeepers. Throughout turbulent Old Trafford times, as an enormous football club punched below its weight too often, De Gea was always there - producing his fair share of magical moments.
For all those years of excellent service, though, the consensus had been that this summer was the the right time to part ways. Erik ten Hag is seeking to employ a brand of football that does not suit De Gea - and another year could've risked tarnishing the good times more than anyone would've wanted.
