So it is farewell to David de Gea after all.
Just over a week after the expiry of his contract at Manchester United, De Gea confirmed that he would be leaving Old Trafford following 12 years at the club. United had been planning face-to-face talks with the Spaniard about the possibility of staying, despite their well-documented u-turn on a new deal.
In the end, De Gea decided to 'seek a new challenge' anyway. Few United supporters can blame him.
United's fanbase is deeply fractured and rarely agrees on anything, but you'd be hard pressed to find supporters who are happy with the way de Gea's departure was handled.