Manchester United look set to miss out on an ‘unbelievably good’ goalkeeper as Premier League rivals Brighton and Hove Albion close in on a £17 million deal for Anderlecht’s Bart Verbruggen.
The simple fact that Bart Verbruggen is a Brighton target probably tells you a lot about what you can expect from the 20-year-old at The Amex.
Any goalkeeper in a Roberto de Zerbi team must be as comfortable with the ball at his feet as he is with it in his arms. De Zerbi dropping Robert Sanchez to the bench in favour of Jason Steele – a better passer of the ball – spoke volumes about what the former Sassuolo coach expects from his number one.
The Brighton boss shares Erik ten Hag’s view of how football should be played, and it seems he also shares his admiration for a man who has only been playing first-team football since Christmas, Verbruggen’s career going naught to sixty in the blink of an eye.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Ten Hag is personally a big fan of Verbruggen. Manchester United look set to miss out, however, as Brighton close in on a deal which is expected to set them back around £17 million.
Brighton beat Manchester United to Bart Verbruggen
And, for his former Anderlecht team-mate Joshua Zirkzee, there are shades of Manuel Neuer about a man who combines supreme shot-stopping with pinpoint distribution. A goalkeeper and a playmaker rolled into one.
“Bart is unbelievably good,” Zirkzee tells Het Nieuwsblad; Verbruggen named Man of the Match after a virtuoso display in the Netherlands’ 0-0 draw with Belgium at the U21 European Championships last week.
“This was a special match for him. Against the country where he plays football, with a transfer hanging in the air. There were really a lot of eyes on him.”
“He really kept us in the game with three or four top saves. I am very happy for him. Although to be honest, I expect nothing less from Bart.
“Not only does he grab the ball, he can also play football so well. Bart looks a lot like Manuel Neuer. I’ve told him that many times. I don’t want to put too much pressure on him, but that’s the level he can go to.”
Man United have turned their attention to Inter Milan’s Andre Onana in recent days, a £42 million bid potentially enough to convince the Champions League finalists to cash in as David de Gea enters the final week of his Old Trafford contract.
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