Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana is coming under fire right now and it’s no surprise to see other stoppers being linked with moves to Old Trafford.
Manchester United beat FCSB in the Europa League on Thursday night, securing a 2-0 victory in Romania.
The result sees United finish third in the Europa League league phase, coasting through with five wins and three draws from eight games.
Thursday also saw Altay Bayindir keep a clean sheet as the Turkish stopper continues to make an impression.
Bayindir was the penalty hero against Arsenal in the FA Cup but first-choice stopper Andre Onana has been through a difficult campaign.
Onana has put himself in danger of being replaced with some poor displays and some major errors over the course of the campaign.
Manchester United want Borussia Dortmund star
We aren’t expecting Onana to be pushed out of United in the coming days but he needs to pick up his performances in the coming months.
Ruben Amorim has already shown a ruthless streak with Marcus Rashford; Onana could go the same way if he doesn’t improve quickly.
The Independent now claim that United could challenge Chelsea for the signature of Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel.
It’s stated that United are long-term admirers of Kobel and have been following him for a long time.
Chelsea are interested in Kobel but the report claims that United may make a move for the Swiss international if Dortmund show any indication that he can move on.
The belief is that United simply have bigger priorities right now, but Kobel could be a prime summer target if Onana doesn’t improve.
Brighton and Hove Albion’s Bart Verbruggen has been linked with United too, with checks seemingly ongoing for potential goalkeeping additions.
- READ: Confirmed Manchester United transfer deals for January 2025, ins, outs, loan moves, deadline date
Manchester United target Gregor Kobel profiled
Kobel hails from Zurich in Switzerland and spent time in the youth ranks of both FC Zurich and Grasshoppers.
Hoffenheim spotted Kobel early and after taking him on loan as a teenager, they signed him permanently in 2016.
Kobel only ever played six times for the Hoffenheim first team though and after loans to Augsburg and Stuttgart, he joined the latter permanently in 2020.
Just a year later, with Kobel becoming one of the top young stoppers in the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund secured his signature.
The 27-year-old is now approaching 150 appearances for Dortmund and has become one of the top goalkeepers in Europe.
Remarkably though, Kobel only has 10 caps for Switzerland as he has – rather unfortunately – been stuck behind Yann Sommer in the pecking order.
Hailed as a ‘world class’ player by Dortmund’s Sebastian Kehl on the official Bundesliga website, Kobel may well feel that he needs a big move soon to take the next step in his career – and United may well come calling.
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