Reports indicate that David de Gea declined an offer to join Nottingham Forest in the January transfer window. The Spaniard, who came close to renewing his contract with Manchester United last season until negotiations were paused due to the club’s focus on signing Andre Onana, found himself without a team after the end of his 12-year stint at Old Trafford.
Despite his standing and reputation in the game, De Gea has remained without a club, diverting his attention to business ventures outside football. According to The Athletic, Nottingham Forest approached De Gea among seven different goalkeepers during the winter window. Forest, apparently unconvinced by their current options Matt Turner and Odysseas Vlachodimos, emphasized the importance of De Gea playing regularly to enhance his future prospects.
Former Manchester United teammate Christian Eriksen took a similar approach, joining Brentford in 2022 to showcase himself for potential moves to larger clubs after recovering from a near-fatal cardiac arrest.
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However, De Gea declined the offer from Forest, and the club eventually turned to Matz Sels from Strasbourg after being rebuffed by Liverpool in their pursuit of Caoimhin Kelleher with a reported £15m offer.
There were previous links with Al Shabab in the Saudi Pro League, but De Gea has consistently shown no desire to move to the oil-rich country. Despite past considerations from Bayern Munich and talks with Real Madrid, no substantial moves materialized. Newcastle were also offered De Gea in December, but given their precarious position in European competition and his preference for a Champions League-bound team, Forest’s offer did not tempt him.
Unless an urgent need arises before the end of the season, it is unlikely that De Gea will find a new club until at least the summer. The longer he waits for the ideal offer, the less likely it seems to materialize, raising the importance of making the right choice for his future.