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Amidst the club’s desperate need for a new striker and Ten Hag’s desire for a reinforced midfield, the goalkeeper situation at Manchester United is one that is in urgent need of addressing,
As things stand, David de Gea‘s contract is set to expire at the end of June. While there is a verbal agreement on a deal to extend the Spaniard’s stay on reduced terms, it is yet to be signed off.
Meanwhile Dean Henderson is on the verge of a permanent transfer to Nottingham Forest, while Jack Butland’s loan is at an end, just as even Tom Heaton‘s contract is up for expiry.
There is a very real possibility that Man United have zero goalkeepers in the first-team squad come the first of July.
De Gea is, of course, expected to stay on. But even so, The Red Devils are in need of numbers between the sticks.
Moreover, Erik ten Hag has previously shown a desire to provide the current number one with genuine competition, having pursued both Kevin Trapp and Yann Sommer last summer unsuccessfully.
The latter of that Bundesliga pair continued to be linked with a move to Old Trafford throughout the season and, while he has since made the switch to Bayern Munich, Sommer is still on the radar.
That is according to TalkSport, who claim the Switzerland star is exactly the profile of goalkeeper Ten Hag is looking to recruit.
As discussed by The Peoples Person elsewhere, Sommer certainly is in the mould of a possession-friendly shot-stopper, and would challenge – and possibly overtake – De Gea for his position.
With Manuel Neuer returning to fitness for Bayern, Yann Sommer is “ready to quit” the German giants unless he can be given some assurances as to his playing time going forward.
That does not seem likely given Neuer’s iconic status in Munich, meaning the Swiss international could be available at a knock-down price – well below the sums mooted for goalkeepers such as Andre Onana or Jordan Pickford, both of whom have been linked with United in recent days.
With Sommer available at a reasonable fee and likely to move on in the summer, his acquisition would make a lot of sense for Erik ten Hag, regardless of the futures of Manchester United’s other goalkeepers.
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