Manchester United target warned about ‘enormous’ £15m Old Trafford move

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Manchester United are reportedly keen on £15 million-rated Anderlecht goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen but Belgium U21 coach Olivier Deschacht wonders if he is really ready for the Premier League.

Speculation over Bart Verbruggen’s future continues to divide opinion over in Belgium.

For all those who claim that the Dutch-born 20-year-old is worthy of a chance at the top level after bursting onto the scene at Anderlecht, there are some who fear a classic case of ‘too much, too soon’.

“This is a huge step,” argues Olivier Deschacht, assistant coach for the Belgian U21 side. “He’d better take an intermediate step, because the pressure is enormous at a club like Manchester United.”

Manchester United’s next goalkeeper after David de Gea?

According to Het Laaste Nieuws, the Red Devils are watching Verbruggen closely. He’s only been a first-team regular at Anderlecht since Christmas but, in just six short months, has come on leaps and bounds, racking up the clean sheets and saving a handful of penalties during RCSA’s run to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Conference League.

Verbruggen, if he was to join United, would likely serve as back-up to David de Gea before potentially replacing the oft-maligned Spaniard somewhere down the line.

“Maybe they want him as a second keeper,” Deschacht adds Play Sports, via Voetbal Nieuws. “But a goalkeeper like Verbruggen must be playing.

“Of course, I would go if Manchester United came. That is a dream club as a footballer. Who knows, (maybe) Verbruggen is better than De Gea?”

Former goalkeeper Geert de Vlieger, who did not play a minute during two years at Manchester City in the mid-2000s, knows from experience that life as a back-up is little fun.

He does, however, add that Verbruggen would not be short of opportunities to prove himself. Man United will play over 60 games games this season, taking into account the Europa League, FA and Carabao Cup.

“I wasn’t a fan of rotation, but that was in the past,” De Vlieger explains. “Now, you can offer someone like Verbruggen matches in Europe, matches in the FA Cup and the like.”