Manchester United’s goalkeeping situation has been unexpectedly pushed to the top of the agenda and that’s reflected in their latest transfer targets as a “homecoming” is targeted.
What looked like a position that wouldn’t need addressing in the short-term has deteriorated so quickly to such an extent that Ruben Amorim is left with zero reliable goalkeepers.
Andre Onana’s form took a nosedive and when he was dropped, Altay Bayindir made everyone know that he wasn’t up to it either.
To fix their goalkeeping woes, Man Utd are reportedly turning to an ex-academy star who outshining David de Gea in Italy. He was released by Louis van Gaal.
Man Utd aim for goalkeeper’s ‘homecoming’
The upcoming summer is the worst time for United to address their goalkeeping situation on priority because the list of priorities was already so long.
In a summer where United could see ten exits easily, they didn’t want to worry about sorting out such an important position as well.
As such, they need to be creative to go about fixing it, either by promoting Radek Vitek or, what seems to have happened, identifying a smart target.
Cuoretoro reports via La Stampa that Man Utd have identified Torino’s star goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic as a potential replacement for Onana.
The Serbian was a Man Utd player from 2014 to 2016 after being identified as a gret youth player but work permit issues led to his departure.
He was released under Louis van Gaal but he soon made good on his potential by earning a move to Torino on the back of one good season with Lechia Gdansk.
Vanja Milinkovic-Savic outshining David de Gea in Italy
This season, Milinkovic-Savic has arguably been the best goalkeeper in Serie A despite playing for mid-table Torino.
He’s made the most number of saves and is rated the highest among goalkeeper as per Sofascore, with De Gea coming in at fourth place.
At 28, he’s the ideal age for a goalkeeper too, who usually peak later and stay for longer, while his dual citizenship plus Brexit means that his work permit is no longer an issue.
He’s precisely the kind of signing Man Utd have missed for a long time. Despite it being a return of an ex-academy star, the circumstances are aligning perfectly.
The Serbian has proven that he’s ready for the next step in his career after earning his stripes despite suffering an early setback in his career at Old Trafford.
Coming back to the club and reclaiming the No. 1 spot would be a great motivator and the finances wouldn’t be too big a strain on the club either.
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