David De Gea has become a decisive figure again for Fiorentina at a point when the club’s present and its longer-term succession plan are beginning to overlap. The Spanish goalkeeper, wearing No. 43, made crucial interventions against Pisa and Napoli after an uncertain opening to the campaign, and he now heads to Genoa with renewed authority between the posts.
The revival carries particular weight at Marassi. In last season’s match against Genoa, De Gea saved a Lorenzo Colombo penalty but also endured a difficult afternoon, including a hesitant attempt to come off his line in the build-up to the home side’s 2-2 equaliser. That display came to reflect a troubled 2025/26 season for Fiorentina and one of the poorest campaigns of the goalkeeper’s career.
The beginning of the current season did not immediately change that picture. His performances against Roma, followed by home fixtures with Frosinone and Torino, were below his usual standard, in keeping with the team’s uneven start. The return of Paolo Vanoli, however, has helped restore confidence. Vanoli had handed De Gea the captaincy only weeks after that previous Genoa meeting, asking him to take greater responsibility and placing significant trust in him.
A captain returning to his level
Against Napoli, Fiorentina saw the version of De Gea that defined much of his Manchester United career: alert in key moments and capable of changing the result through his saves. At 35, with his 36th birthday falling on 7 November, he remains a goalkeeper able to influence major Serie A matches.
His role extends beyond his performances. Fiorentina view him as a link between the club’s previous cycle and the new direction, a position strengthened by the captaincy. Relations between the player and the club are understood to be strong, while De Gea’s focus remains on the season in front of him.
Fiorentina will have a decision to make
There are still two years left on De Gea’s contract, which runs until June 2028, so there is no immediate need for a decision. Yet next summer could bring an important discussion for sporting director Fabio Paratici.
De Gea is Fiorentina’s highest-paid player, earning €3 million net per season. A possible separation was already considered last June, partly because of that financial commitment and partly because the club have prepared a potential successor.
Tommaso Martinelli, born in 2006 and currently on loan at Avellino, is regarded as the goalkeeper who could eventually take over. In the coming months, Paratici must assess whether Fiorentina should delay that transition again or begin the post-De Gea era in June, a move which would also remove a substantial salary from the wage bill.
Manchester remains part of the picture
While his future in Florence will be evaluated later, De Gea remains closely connected to Manchester United and their supporters. Fans regularly ask him on social media to return, and the goalkeeper has continued to engage playfully with the British football conversation.
In recent days, amid the legal proceedings surrounding Manchester City and the renewed scrutiny of Premier League titles won by United’s city rivals, De Gea posted a pointed message: “Where are my titles?”
For now, though, Fiorentina need his attention closer to home. The trip to Genoa offers De Gea a chance to replace a difficult memory from last season with another indication that their captain has recovered his command at the heart of the side.
