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Manchester United superstar Marcus Rashford has become the butt of fans' jokes on social media after he made a blunder in his farewell post for departing teammate David de Gea.
De Gea, 32, took to social media on Saturday (July 8) to confirm his exit from Old Trafford, putting an end to his 12-year stint with the English giants. The goalkeeper leaves the club as the player with the seventh-most number of appearances for them, having played 545 games across competitions.
As Manchester United's first-choice keeper, De Gea kept 190 clean sheets, winning a plethora of accolades, including two Premier League Golden Gloves. He also helped the club win eight trophies, including the league title and the UEFA Europa League.
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It's worth noting that De Gea has been a free agent for over a week, with his contract with the Red Devils expiring on June 30. The Spaniard had reportedly agreed to a new deal on significantly reduced wages only for United to pull out. Although the club then made a fresh proposal, the player decided not to take it up.
Many Manchester United players came forward to wish De Gea the best after he confirmed his departure. Rashford was among those to express their sadness at seeing the goalkeeper go. In a heartfelt social media post, the England international wrote:
"You (De Gea) were here from my breakthrough, good luck with your next step brother."
However, eagle-eyed fans were quick to notice as Rashford dropped a clanger and initially shared the post with the words "caption ideas:". Although the post has since been edited, the blunder seemed to suggest there was a miscommunication between the forward and those managing his social media.
Many believe Rashford's gaffe proves that he uses the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT to prepare his social media messages. Regardless of who made the mistake, the United superstar was the subject of brutal trolling on social media, with one fan tweeting:
"ChatGPT merchant"
Meanwhile, popular football media page Troll Football tweeted:
"Rashford caught in 4K"
Here are some more reactions to Rashford making a mess of his farewell message to De Gea:
Rashford, 25, made his senior debut for Manchester United in their 5-1 win at home against Midtjylland in the UEFA Europa League in February 2016. He went on to play 293 games across competitions for De Gea, which is the most he has done with any player.
Manchester United ready replacement for David de Gea
David de Gea's departure means that Manchester United need a new first-choice goalkeeper. Dean Henderson could step up to the role, but he is a target for Nottingham Forest. The Tricky Trees are prepared to pay £30 million for the Englishman after he impressed on loan for them last term, according to Samuel Luckhurst.
Inter Milan's Andre Onana has thus emerged as a top target for the Red Devils this summer. Manager Erik ten Hag is reportedly keen to reunite with the Cameroonian, having worked with him at Ajax. The club have already reached an agreement with the goalkeeper over personal terms, as per Fabrizio Romano.
United are now in the process of thrashing out a deal with Inter. There is a feeling that Onana could be signed for a £45 million package. The Premier League giants, meanwhile, have also been linked with Urawa Red Diamonds' Dion Suzuki.
