David de Gea has left Manchester United and with his exit comes an end of an era.
Though the messy way his eventual exit was handled was unfitting for a player who has served the club loyally and brilliantly for 12 years - and hopefully a testimonial will come in the future - it was ultimately the right decision. The only worrying aspect is that it took so long to make it.
Everyone knew the day Erik ten Hag was confirmed as the new United boss that De Gea would not suit his system. The Spaniard is one of the last holdouts of the older generation of goalkeepers who never had to play much with the ball at their feet or be progressive off their lines, just stop the ball from going in. But that's incompatible with the top-end of the modern game and if United are ever to win the Premier League again then they had to get with the times.
It's not to downplay the massive contributions De Gea made in some of United's bleakest years. At his peak, he was incredible, capable of breathtaking saves but he is now a goalkeeping dinosaur and the meteor has finally crashed down. The fact United even considered giving him a new deal remains a concern given they could have organised his departure months ago and have his replacement lined up but his next club will prove the point further as there's little chance he joins a Champions League side.
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De Gea's unsavoury yet timely exit has yet further significance as it means there is no longer a player at the club who played for Sir Alex Ferguson. One of the biggest issues during the decade of steady decline since the legendary manager's retirement has been the hodgepodge recruitment.
Four different managers oversaw transfer windows before Ten Hag's arrival and United's complete inability to move on players after giving exuberant contracts means there has never been a clear identity to the team. It has been a squad designed by a committee and this camel had a massive hump.
Ten Hag had at least one player in his squad last season signed under the reigns of Ferguson, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunner Solskjaer - David Moyes would have completed the set if Juan Mata wasn't eventually released after talks with the new boss. Not only is it clear that having so many players signed by managers with vastly different identities can hardly lead to a cohesive unit, the sheer number of years some underachieving players have been at the club just reeks of stagnation.
Do you want to know how many Manchester City players last season weren't signed by Pep Guardiola? One. Kevin De Bruyne, which seems like a pretty fair exception.
But Ten Hag is slowly changing things by designing his own squad. Moving De Gea on is a significant step. A new No.1 goalkeeper will have to be signed this summer and be it the ideal target Andre Onana or an alternative, he will arrive with the skills capable of taking Ten Hag's revolution to the next level.
With a goalkeeper comfortable on the ball and proactive on his line, United's defenders will be able to trust him to push further up the pitch and press like Europe's top sides. It should be a transformational change and a vital one.
Getting his own goalkeeper into the side means the starting XI should soon be completely in his image. The team that kicks off this coming season against Wolves will likely look miles different to the one that earned a defeat to Brighton in Ten Hag's first competitive game in charge.
On that day only two players were Ten Hag's signings. Christian Eriksen played up front and Lisandro Martinez was left high and dry by De Gea and Harry Maguire. If everything goes to plan in the transfer window with the signings of a goalkeeper and striker, United's strongest starting XI should only contain five players he didn't sign himself: Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Luke Shaw, Raphael Varane then either Diogo Dalot or Aaron Wan-Bissaka. All but Varane (who didn't need to) have improved dramatically under the Dutchman and deserve their spots.
United may well have stumbled rear end backwards into their decision to let De Gea go but it was still the right one to make. Ten Hag is probably already United's best manager since Ferguson and he's now being given the opportunity to do what the great man did so well and so often: make a fantastic team in his image.
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