Former Manchester United custodian discussing a January transfer with a La Liga team

David de Gea is still free to join with any team five months after leaving Manchester United, and a return to Spain is now very much a possibility.

After spending nearly 13 years in England, De Gea is reportedly keen to return to Spain. Real Betis and De Gea have reportedly started first talks, with both sides willing to cooperate to make a trade happen, according to Spanish publication ED. Since they only have 40-year-old Claudio Bravo as a backup and their current top player, Rui Silva, is rumoured to be leaving the team this winter, Los Verdiblancos are eager to seal the signing.

The Spanish newspaper mentions the club will use the “Isco formula” on De Gea, which is a short-term agreement on reduced terms intended to be advantageous to both sides. However, the 33-year-old goalie, who was formerly the highest-paid player at United, will only be brought in if sufficient funds are raised by the Seville-based club. Betis CEO Ramon Alarcon has acknowledged that the team are over their pay cap, with Silva likely to make way in that case.

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WHAT NEXT? Real Betis will next be in action when they take on Sevilla in the Derbi Sevillano on Sunday, November 12.