Despite a busy summer which saw as many as five permanent recruits and one loan signing walk through the doors at Carrington, Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag still has quite a few gaps to plug going forward.
As of this January, the main headache for the Dutchman is trying to get the club to spend on an elite striker and hopefully a back-up right-back to ease the load on Diogo Dalot.
But next summer is expected to be equally busy, with the position between the sticks reportedly under consideration following the difficult start to life under Ten Hag for David de Gea.
Goalkeeper hunt
The Dutchman prefers his goalkeeper to be comfortable with the ball at their feet and have the ability to play as sweeper-keeper when required, Traits the Spaniard lacks in his armoury.
The Spaniard’s howlers during pre-season and against Brentford raised further doubts about long-term future with the club reportedly looking at bringing in a suitable alternative in the summer.
Quite a few names have been linked with the Red Devils including Yann Sommer of Borussia Mönchengladbach, Atletico Madrid shot-stopper Jan Oblak and Benfica’s Odysseas Vlachodimos.
Diogo costa👏
The 75m pound goalkeeper our fans want to replace De Gea with… pic.twitter.com/68aI2gNRdi
— Joeknowsball (@joeknowstheball) December 10, 2022
One name that had been mentioned as leading the race for the United No 1 jersey — Diogo Costa recently signed a contract extension with Porto.
However, the Portuguese international had a nightmare World Cup, conceding a howler against Morocco that eventually knocked out Cristiano Ronaldo‘s side from the quadrennial extravaganza.
And as per A Bola (via Sport Witness), Porto are about to give the goalie the requisite support following his return from Qatar, as his mistakes in the tournament still ‘weigh in his conscience’.
Costa still in the fray despite blunder
Despite his gaffes, United’s interest in him ‘stays firm’, with the 20-time English champions still maintaining him in their list of potential signings for next season.
Another factor that could help Costa should he decide to make the move is the fact that he is represented by super agent Jorge Mendes, someone ‘who can open the Premier League doors’ for him.
The article also mentions that the 23-year-old , who has committed himself to the club until 2027, has a release clause of €75 million.
It remains to be seen if United continue their Costa admiration after seeing what transpired at Qatar. A more thorough look during the rest of the campaign might be in order for the moment.
