David de Gea has rediscovered his best form at Fiorentina, but the Spanish goalkeeper’s long-term future in Florence remains open as the club considers when to begin the next phase of its goalkeeping succession.
The former Manchester United goalkeeper endured a difficult start to the 2026-27 campaign, but his performances have improved significantly in recent weeks.
De Gea was particularly influential in Fiorentina’s 3-0 victory over Pisa and their 1-1 draw against Napoli, with his display against Napoli drawing praise for a series of important saves. Italian reports now describe him as having returned to the level that made him such a standout goalkeeper during his Manchester United years.
Yet his resurgence has not completely settled the question of what comes next.
Fiorentina are already thinking about the goalkeeper who will eventually succeed him, while sporting director Fabio Paratici is expected to play a central role in deciding whether the club continues with De Gea as its long-term No.1.
De Gea has changed the conversation with his performances
The beginning of the season offered little indication that De Gea’s position would become a positive talking point.
Fiorentina suffered heavy defeats against Roma and Frosinone before losing at home to Torino, and the goalkeeper was part of a defence that conceded heavily during that difficult opening spell.
But the picture changed.
Fiorentina beat Pisa 3-0 on September 15, before De Gea produced another influential performance against Napoli five days later.
His display in the 1-1 draw was particularly significant.
Corriere dello Sport described the 35-year-old as having rediscovered the qualities that once made him such a commanding presence at Old Trafford, while other Italian reporting highlighted three important saves against Napoli.
That improvement has strengthened his immediate position.
It has not, however, completely answered the longer-term question.
Fiorentina already have a succession plan
One of the reasons De Gea’s future remains a talking point is that Fiorentina have already identified a potential successor.
Tommaso Martinelli, currently on loan at Avellino, is regarded within the club as a goalkeeper who could eventually take over from De Gea.
That creates an important decision for Paratici.
Fiorentina can continue relying on an experienced goalkeeper who is currently rediscovering his best level, or they can begin accelerating the transition towards the younger Martinelli.
According to Corriere dello Sport, that decision will be considered over the coming months.
The issue is therefore less about whether De Gea can still perform and more about how Fiorentina want to structure their goalkeeping position over the next few seasons.
His contract is not the immediate problem
There is an important detail behind the uncertainty.
De Gea is not approaching the end of his current contract.
He renewed his Fiorentina deal in 2025 and is contracted until June 2028. That gives the club considerable control over the situation and means any decision about his future would be a sporting and financial choice rather than an unavoidable consequence of his contract expiring.
His salary, however, is part of the equation.
Italian reports have previously put his net annual earnings at around €3 million, making him one of Fiorentina’s highest-paid players. That financial commitment becomes more relevant when the club considers whether it wants to continue with an experienced goalkeeper into the latter stages of his contract or accelerate the development of a younger alternative.
So while De Gea’s contract provides security, it does not guarantee that he will remain Fiorentina’s first-choice goalkeeper for its entire duration.
De Gea’s age adds another layer
De Gea turned 35 in November 2025 and will turn 36 on November 7, 2026.
That does not mean his performances have suddenly become unsustainable.
In fact, his recent form suggests the opposite.
The goalkeeper has started all five of Fiorentina’s Serie A matches so far this season and has played every minute of those games. He is expected to start again when Fiorentina travel to Genoa on Saturday.
His age nevertheless makes succession planning a sensible consideration for the club.
Fiorentina have to think beyond the next save or the next clean sheet.
They have to decide what their goalkeeping position should look like in 2027, 2028 and beyond.
That is where Martinelli enters the picture.
The Napoli performance may have bought De Gea time
The Napoli game was particularly important because it came after a difficult opening to the campaign.
Rather than simply surviving another match, De Gea produced the kind of performance that reminded Fiorentina why they invested in him in the first place.
His intervention helped Fiorentina secure a point against Napoli, and the performance has changed the tone around his immediate future.
Italian media have noted that the goalkeeper appears to have regained confidence after the uncertainty of the opening weeks.
That could make Fiorentina less inclined to rush the transition to Martinelli.
At the same time, one or two strong performances are unlikely to determine the club’s long-term strategy.
The evaluation will continue.
De Gea’s Fiorentina story has already been unusual
His arrival in Florence came after an unexpected period away from football.
De Gea left Manchester United in 2023 after more than a decade at Old Trafford and spent over a year without a club before Fiorentina brought him back into professional football in 2024.
Since then, he has established himself as an important figure for the Italian club.
Last season he made 37 Serie A appearances, keeping 10 clean sheets. Across his Serie A career, he has now made 77 appearances and recorded 21 clean sheets.
His experience has also given Fiorentina a goalkeeper capable of handling pressure at the highest level.
That makes replacing him more complicated than simply finding another player for the position.
The decision now belongs to Fiorentina
The immediate signs point towards De Gea continuing as Fiorentina’s goalkeeper.
He is in form.
He has a long-term contract.
He remains the club’s established starter.
And the upcoming trip to Genoa provides another opportunity to demonstrate that his recent revival is more than a short-term reaction.
But Fiorentina also have a younger goalkeeper waiting in the background and a sporting director tasked with shaping the club’s next era.
That means De Gea’s future is likely to be discussed even while he remains firmly involved in the present.
For now, the goalkeeper has done the most important thing he can do.
He has returned to performing.
Whether that is enough to convince Fiorentina that the future should continue to revolve around him is a decision that will come later.
A goalkeeper who has made the question harder
Perhaps the irony of De Gea’s resurgence is that it has made Fiorentina’s decision more complicated.
A goalkeeper struggling badly would make succession straightforward.
A goalkeeper producing decisive performances at 35 creates a different problem.
Fiorentina must now balance the value of experience and current performance against salary, age and the development of a potential successor.
De Gea’s contract runs until 2028.
Martinelli is waiting.
And De Gea himself is showing that he still has the ability to influence matches.
The coming months will determine which of those three factors carries the greatest weight.
For now, the former Manchester United No.1 has done what he knows best: he has made himself difficult to replace.
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