David de Gea has transfer preference after Man United exit but wage demands prove hurdle to next step

David de Gea is looking to secure an after-tax salary of €10million (£8.7m) after being released by Manchester United.

The Spain international has rejected an offer from Internazionale which would have seen him take over the berth vacated by his successor as Old Trafford number one, Andre Onana. The Daily Record understands that De Gea called a halt on initial discussions with Inter after the Milan club proposed an annual wage of €5m (£4.3m) net. Inter are instead working on deals to sign Anatoliy Trubin from Shakhtar Donetsk and Yann Sommer from Bayern Munich.

De Gea's preference would be a return to La Liga after 12 seasons in England during which he win one Premier League title, one FA Cup, the Europa League, two League Cups and two Premier League Golden Gloves. Though the 32-year-old's first club, Atletico Madrid, have discreetly placed Jan Oblak on the transfer market, it is unlikely that any European employer would be able to take on the Slovenia captain's €12m net salary.

Only a move to the Saudi Pro League is considered capable of re-establishing De Gea's status as the game's best-paid goalkeeper. His final contract at Manchester United - agreed in September 2019 as the club's vice-chairman Ed Woodward feared losing De Gea as a free agent - was worth over €60m after-tax over its initial four-year term with signing-on fees and bonuses included.

United chose not to take up the option of a fifth season on that deal before entering negotiations to retain De Gea on reduced financial terms. Following Erik ten Hag's request that Onana be signed as the Spaniard's replacement, De Gea announced his exit from Old Trafford on social media earlier this month.

Onana, 27, will join from Inter for an initial transfer fee of