Bruno Fernandes calls out Juan Mata over David De Gea Man United return 'snub'

Bruno Fernandes calls out Juan Mata over David De Gea Man United return 'snub'

Manchester United players past and present have been involved in an exchange after David de Gea bid farewell to the Old Trafford crowd in a pre-season friendly on Saturday

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has been involved in an exchange with Juan Mata on social media (Image: Offside via Getty Images)

Bruno Fernandes and Juan Mata have been involved in an exchange on social media over David de Gea's farewell at Old Trafford on Saturday.

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The Spanish goalkeeper played for Fiorentina against Manchester United in a 1-1 draw at M16 with Ruben Amorim's team winning a resulting penalty shootout against the Italian Serie A side. Attention will now be fully on next Sunday's Premier League opener at home to Arsenal as the Reds look to recover from an abysmal 2024/25 campaign.

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But attention on Saturday was on honouring legendary former Reds keeper De Gea, who was not afforded a farewell at United when he left in the summer of 2023.

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And Fernandes has paid tribute to his ex-teammate on Instagram - posting a picture of him presenting De Gea with a framed picture of the Spaniard in United colours. "My brother," he said, alongside a red love heart emoji.

In reply, another former Reds player in Mata commented: "Thanks for inviting me," in a seemingly sarcastic message. Fernandes then replied: "Do you want me to post the message I sent you."

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When asked about his United exit after Saturday's game, De Gea said: "Sometimes football is like it is.

"You can't control everything. I've been here 12 years, very, very nice, it's one of the best periods of my life.

"Playing for this club is just unbelievable, especially when you leave the club, you realise how big is the club, how difficult it was to be 12 years in a club like United. I'm always grateful for this club, for everyone, it's been an amazing journey.

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"Great, sometimes it’s difficult to describe with words how you feel on the pitch, seeing the crowd, the players, everybody there, it was emotional for me. It’s a game that I’ll never forget for sure."

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