No matter your view on what David de Gea's future should have been, the way his Manchester United career has ended is not right. And, above anything, it speaks to the vast levels of mismanagement that remain within the club.
Reports in the weeks ahead of his departure widely suggested De Gea had agreed a new deal, even embarking on his summer holiday ahead of returning to United for pre-season. But a return to Carrington never transpired to be the case.
That sense of security De Gea had been offered was false. It seems the deal was proposed to the Spaniard by the club before being signed off by the manager, Erik ten Hag, who as he is entitled to, vetoed the contract offered to the Spaniard.
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Ten Hag did no wrong. As the manager, he has every right to instruct the club that he doesn't agree with a decision that can impact the footballing side of the club - of which he is in charge. Under Ten Hag, De Gea became a misfit, which makes the decision to let him go wholly justifiable, even if the surrounding circumstances are lamentable.
The Spaniard failed to adapt to the extent Ten Hag would have liked, failing to offer enough quality in possession, lacking key traits such as proactivity to prevent chances materialising behind a high line, and not showing enough command of his area.
There was evidence to suggest De Gea was even declining under the expectation placed on him in Ten Hag's system, with errors not uncommon. The Europa League quarter-final loss could be picked out as a turning point, with De Gea culpable for all three goals conceded to differing degrees, whether through poor pass choices, failing to claim a ball into the box, or misjudging a ball in an uncomfortable position outside of his box.
Winning his second Premier League Golden Glove is one high note to end on, however while De Gea did still show some of his shot-stopping expertise, the value of the defence to this achievement cannot be understated. When all factors are considered, a decision not accounting for sentimentality - a recent shortcoming of the club - probably had to be taken.
It cannot be argued too heavily against that replacing De Gea with Andre Onana could well be transformative, with a 'modern' goalkeeper like the Cameroon international necessary to further evolve into Ten Hag's image. However, the big issue with the whole contract debacle - and it really did become a debacle - is the fact that De Gea was given false hope by the club.
Those that should have done evidently didn't consult Ten Hag before offering the deal, when the manager should be the first port of call when deciding the futures of his players given it is his squad and his decisions should bear the most weight. That lack of communication and essential absence of dialogue with the manager is gravely concerning.
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If the manager didn't want a new deal to be offered, De Gea should never have been given the opportunity to agree anything. The fact that the offer was supposedly in the region of £200,000 still further emphasises a worrying disconnect.
The ruthlessness could warrant praise, and to an extent eventually going with the manager's view could too, but there are other ways to navigate this sort of matter. And, in reality, it is hardly being ruthless when a deal was proposed in the first place anyway.
Indecision was seemingly rife throughout the progress, leading to real uncertainty for all parties, leaving De Gea without a club or any arrangements with a club. It was no way for an undisputed legend of the club to bow out, with no clarity until the day his deal ran out, and even for a period beyond that too.
The whole situation, not allowing for a send-off for De Gea given its drawn-out nature, showed a lack of values and absence of respect towards the player himself. It spoke to concerns of continued turmoil above, stemming from the ownership, leading to hints of inadequacy through the club's ranks.
Regardless of a rocky end, De Gea should be remembered for doing so much good for the club. The jubilation towards his exit across social media was saddening; it isn't impossible to see it was time for De Gea to move on while appreciating what he offered year after year, which some have somehow found it difficult to acknowledge.
Many have had their visions of De Gea's greater years blurred by his recent waning amid an evolving game, even to the extent of launching attacks on him across social media too. He may not be suited to the evolved, modern game, but that shouldn't detract from just how impactful for, and completely vital to, United he once was.
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Since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, United probably wouldn't have played in the Champions League, and Europe in general, to the extent they did if it wasn't for De Gea's influence. He dragged a struggling side out of the mire on countless occasions, and even with the club in a dire state, remained ever-present and outlasted multiple managers.
He managed to break numerous records too. He broke the goalkeeper appearance record held by Alex Stepney by making 545 appearances following on from his arrival at the club in the summer of 2011, also breaking United's clean sheet record by managing 190 shutouts.
Individually, he won four Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year awards and continually got the recognition he deserved from his teammates with four Players' Player of the Year awards on top of that. More widely, he was named in the PFA Team of the Year an unprecedented five times in succession between the 2012/13 and 2017/18 campaigns.
His pedigree across 12 years probably warrants more silverware than De Gea managed too, with the League Cup the only major trophy he won multiple times - in the 2016/17 campaign and his final season. That said, his resume is complete aside from Champions League success, with a Premier League title, FA Cup win and Europa League success to boot.
The celebration surrounding his exit should only be one of admiration for what he gave over so many years - not the ludicrous fanfare that there was upon the news of his departure. Whatever happened to fans showing loyalty?
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Appreciation is all that should be directed De Gea's way, because when times were tough, he stood up and made himself counted. And during some of the club's toughest years, he still made himself stand out and cemented legendary status.
Through thick and thin, De Gea stood out as a leader and forged a real connection with supporters. His signature celebrations, punching the air when a goal was scored at the opposite ends, will be missed at Old Trafford.
It is such a shame that an illustrious career ended on a bitter note through mismanagement from the club's part. The move to shift De Gea on is a necessary one, but it is no doubt bittersweet.
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