Few Manchester United players have solidified legendary status since Sir Alex Ferguson departed, so if one is available, he should be given the fairytale return.

David de Gea has been a revelation for Fiorentina this season having joined in the summer after a year-long post-United hiatus. Despite a year out of the game, the former United no. 1 has looked back to his best in Italy, and with a low market value, provides the proven quality and sentiment that United need right now.

De Gea is out of contract at the end of the season. Quickly attainable, he makes sense on a performance level with Andre Onana’s repeated mistakes hamstringing United and Altay Bayindir untrusted after his Carabao Cup performance vs Tottenham.

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De Gea has kept seven clean sheets and conceded 18 goals in 18 league matches this year, saving two penalties in the process and avoiding any errors leading to goals.

Onana, on the other hand, has made three errors leading to goals and has become a source of insecurity in recent weeks in an already frail defence. De Gea’s shot-stopping ability dug United out of many a hole during many a difficult period during his 12 years at United, and despite being aged 34 that form has continued, with his 48 saves coming at a 72.7% success rate for Fiorentina this season. That’s opposed to Onana’s 56 saves at 63.6% success.

It has become cliché to call Old Trafford the Theatre of Nightmares in years of late, and the boost to a side’s morale through a sentimental re-signing like this shouldn’t be underestimated.

Think, for example, of Cristiano Ronaldo’s return against Newcastle in 2021, before the relationship soured. A more appropriate comparison would be Thierry Henry’s fairytale return to Arsenal, a moment that lives long in the memory despite coming seven years into a then-catastrophic trophy drought.

Given De Gea’s 12 years of service, and his strong performance, he does deserve a send off befitting of his status in the club’s history, one he never got with his unceremonious departure under Erik ten Hag. Compared to the increasingly scrutinised current goalkeeping situation, he represents an improvement on a short-term basis until a goalkeeper that suits becomes available.

United have been linked to the likes of Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen, and Mike Maignan from AC Milan for £67million, so a stand in goalkeeper until an outstanding candidate emerges represents good value.

Re-signing him would be quite some reversal from an executive standpoint, but with his current wage rumoured to be in the €40,000 a week ballpark, his demands would be modest compared to what they once were.

With Jim Ratcliffe’s ascension to power at the club, there is daylight between the current board and the management team that allowed De Gea’s contract to run out, so the indignity belongs to personnel no longer at the club.

United are in need of a new goalkeeper, and a morale boost. David de Gea could be their man.