Manchester United are now pursuing Crystal Palace’s third choice goalkeeper Jack Butland, reports The Telegraph.
Butland, 29, is a former England international who was once regarded as one of the game’s top young goalkeepers.
So much so, that back in 2017, there was a prospect of Butland signing permanently with Manchester United as David de Gea‘s successor.
This was a challenge Butland acknowledged he was eager to take on, if the opportunity presented itself.
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What Jack Butland said about replacing David de Gea
Butland was a Stoke City player at the time, and was quizzed about potentially joining Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United.
He was quoted by The Metro: “I always [get asked that]. Like I said I’m really happy here and if that opportunity ever came round it’s something you’ve got to deal with at the time.”
Butland had separately described United as the ‘biggest club in the world’.
He now may get the chance to ‘deal with’ a move to Manchester United, albeit just as David de Gea’s back-up, not his replacement.
De Gea is in fine form, and there is no guarantee Butland would be ahead of Tom Heaton in the Red Devils pecking order.
But he at least could get the opportunity, which didn’t seem likely at all a few days ago.
A back-up goalkeeper is the position where these rare chances seem to pop up at Manchester United. Even Tom Heaton’s signing was a little of a surprise.
Butland’s arrival would follow suit, just like another former Stoke player, Lee Grant, who did sign for United under Jose Mourinho’s tenure, his final signing for the club.
Recent loanee Martin Dubravka was also a left-field choice, and his exit is set to provide an opportunity for Jack Butland to take on.
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