Manchester United are yet to hold talks with Unai Simon or his representatives despite the uncertainty surrounding David de Gea’s future.
The United number one id out of contract at the end of the current season and while the club do have the option to extend his deal by a further twelve months, they are unlikely to do so.
They may yet offer De Gea a fresh deal on reduced terms as they aim to get a handle on the wage structure at Old Trafford.
The keeper currently earns around £375,000 a week, making him the highest earning goalkeeper in world football, as well as the highest earning Spanish player.
Given his deficiencies, that is a fairly absurd situation for United to find themselves in.
De Gea has impressed Erik ten Hag with his willingness to improves, but if a compromise cannot be reached over his salary, United may be forced to let him leave on a free transfer in June.
That has led to the Red Devils searching for potential replacements, with Spanish outlet Relevo claiming that the club have been impressed while watching Unai Simon at the Qatar World Cup.
The 25-year-old demonstrated impressive distribution against Germany in a match in which he also made a couple of key saves and showed a willingness to challenge for crosses into the box.
His positive style of goalkeeping juxtaposes that of De Gea and could be a huge boost to Ten Hag’s attempt to instil a proactive style of football at Old Trafford.
Relevo believe that Simon could cost up to €40m but given the kinds of fees that United’s rivals have spent to modernise their goalkeeping position, that hardly seems like a ransom.
A deal is some way off, however, with Fabrizio Romano providing an update on the Spain starter’s future.
Speaking to Caught Offside via his column, the journalist said, “No, honestly, I’m not aware of any talk between Man United and Unai Simon or his agents.
“I think he’s very good goalkeeper but at the moment the goalkeepers market in general is really quiet.
“It’s always kind of domino for the goalkeepers and I don’t see big things changing in January.”
Replacing De Gea in January was never likely, but Simon could well become a priority target in the summer transfer window.
Bilbao believe that they already have his replacement in the form of Julen Agirrezabala, who starts for their Under 21 side.
Should United find themselves in need of a top quality proactive goalkeeper next season, Unai Simon will certainly be on the shortlist.
