De Gea's Fiorentina spell nears its end

According to Corriere dello Sport, Fiorentina is working on alternative goalkeepers to replace 36-year-old David De Gea. Doubts within the club are growing over the mistakes the keeper has made this season and his annual net salary of 3.5 million euros.

Head coach Paolo Vanoli defended his captain after the draw with Juventus and said De Gea was not a problem. However, the Spanish keeper was held responsible for Gleison Bremer's goal in the 66th minute. De Gea had come off his line to challenge for the ball in the air but then stayed where he was. He also made errors in the matches against Sassuolo, Como, Genoa, Frosinone and Roma. His weakness in dealing with crosses is said to have become more pronounced with age.

Backup goalkeepers Oliver Christensen and Luca Lezzerini are not seen as a long-term solution. Sporting director Fabio Paratici has also begun looking at other names. The first option is Tommaso Martinelli, who is owned by Fiorentina and is currently on loan at Serie B side Avellino. The club is also searching abroad, with River Plate's Santiago Beltrán, born in 2004, among the names mentioned. According to Corriere, De Gea's time in Florence may be limited to the next seven months.