Fabio Paratici arrived with the stated purpose of trimming the roster. It makes sense for a team that’s dropped from European contender to relegation avoider. Without that 3rd competition, there aren’t enough minutes in the upcoming season for the whole squad to play. There also won’t be enough money to pay that whole squad. We all knew that Paratici would wield the axe liberally, particularly targeting Fiorentina’s highest earners. In hindsight, we should’ve known that David de Gea would be squarely
in his sights.
De Gea was a revelation in 2024-2025, winning Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year while showing that a year off from the game hadn’t eroded his effectiveness. In 2025-2026, though, he sank along with the rest of the team. He took over the armband from Luca Ranieri but his level sagged worryingly along with the rest of the team. And along with the rest of the team, he eventually lifted his performances back towards his established standard, ending the season strongly.
He’s under contract until 2028, earning €5.6 million a year. His poor showing was a function of club-wide dysfunction rather than aging and he remains one of the better shot stoppers in Serie A, although his struggles on high balls into the box from set pieces give opponents an obvious weakness to target. Even at his lowest ebb, though, he’s a net positive, a steady presence for a team that needs steadiness as much as any in Italy.
€5.6 million, though. That’s the 2nd-highest wage earned by a goalkeeper in Serie A, trailing only Mike Maigan’s €6.4 million. De Gea was far from the 2nd-best goalkeeper in Serie A this year and any 35-year-old could be on the precipice of decline. Fiorentina knows how badly a former great now on their last legs can limit a team; Franck Ribery, despite some brilliant moments, capped the Viola upside and slowed development of key youngsters on the pitch. Especially with Tommaso Martinelli just a year or two away, it’s easy to see why Paratici might want to move off of de Gea.
That said, there’s still a way forward. De Gea reportedly wants to stay in Florence. Since he signed on a free, his book value is zero. That could mean that Paratici sees him as a pure plusvalenza but it also could provide space for the sides to renegotiate the goalkeeper’s contract, reducing that financial strain. That’s a rare occurrence but this is a rare situation. Even if Fiorentina and de Gea find common ground on a new deal, don’t expect to hear the full story right away (or maybe ever). There will be machinations, wheels within wheels, statements released to soothe egos, and the raw facts will never see the light of day.
If that doesn’t happen, selling de Gea could be difficult. Not many teams can pay his salary so selling him would result in a minuscule fee and perhaps even a further financial commitment to cover some of his wage. De Gea’s also spoken about wanting to play at the top level–likely ruling out the Gulf states–and has discussed his reluctance to play in England for any club that’s not Manchester United due to his 13 years at Old Trafford. Perhaps he’d accept the backup job there but otherwise, it’s hard to imagine a team with the finances to pay him and the tactical system that would allow him to start while protecting his weaknesses.
If a buyer can be found, Paratici and company have tabbed a replacement already: Lazio’s Greece international Christos Mandas. The 24-year-old joined the Biancocelesti in January 2023 from OFI Crete for €1.3 million as Ivan Provedel’s backup. He filled in when Provedel was hurt and started the cup games but with Lazio out of Europe last year, he moved to Bournemouth in January for more minutes. It didn’t go well as he failed to dislodge Ðorðje Petrović and returned without making an appearance; the Cherries won’t pick up his €2.3 million option.
Mandas’ recent record isn’t great but he ticks the Paratici boxes: young, cheap, and experience in the Premier League. The club would likely use him as a stopgap for a couple seasons before giving Martinelli a chance; if everything goes right, Mandas could be flipped for a tidy sum. In the real world, it’s rare for everything to go right, but as a long-term plan, it makes plenty of sense, provided that Mandas can maintain an average Serie A level.
It’s a miserable situation. Moving on from a legend like de Gea–at one time the best goalkeeper in the world and still quite good–is the right financial decision but possibly the wrong one on the pitch itself, especially since his leadership is so important to the side. At this point, no single move can be the right one. It’s a microcosm of Fiorentina’s past several years: the team made a string of personnel mistakes but constantly kicked the can down the road. Now it’s hit a dead end and can only kick that can off the walls of a cul-de-sac.
