Despite a busy summer that saw as many as five permanent recruits and one loan signing walk through the gates at Carrington, Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag still has quite a few gaps to fill moving forward.
As of January, the main headache for the Dutchman is trying to get the club to spend on an elite striker and hopefully a reserve right-back to ease the burden on Diogo Dalot.
But next summer is expected to be just as busy, with the position between the sticks reportedly under consideration following David de Gea’s rocky start to life under Ten Hag.
goalie hunting
The Dutchman prefers his goalkeeper to be comfortable with the ball at his feet and have the ability to play goalkeeper when needed, traits the Spaniard lacks in his armour.
The Spaniard’s howling during pre-season and against Brentford raised further doubts about his long-term future and the club are reportedly looking to bring in a suitable alternative in the summer.
Quite a few names have been linked to the Red Devils, including Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Yann Sommer, Atlético Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak and Benfica’s Odysseas Vlachodimos.
Diogo costs ????
The 75 million pound goalkeeper our fans want to replace De Gea with… pic.twitter.com/68aI2gNRdi
— Joeknowsball (@joeknowstheball) December 10, 2022
A name that had been mentioned as leading the race for United’s number 1 shirt: Diogo Costa recently signed a contract extension with Porto.
However, the Portuguese international had a nightmare World Cup, conceding a stunning goal against Morocco that ultimately knocked Cristiano Ronaldo’s side out of the quadrennial extravaganza.
And according to A Bola (via Sport Witness), Porto are about to give the goalkeeper the necessary support after his return from Qatar, as his mistakes in the tournament still ‘weigh on his conscience’.
Costa is still in the fight despite a blunder
Despite his gaffes, United’s interest in him ‘remains strong’, and the 20-time English champions still have him on their list of possible transfers for next season.
Another factor that could help Costa if he decides to make the move is the fact that he is represented by super-agent Jorge Mendes, someone “who can open the doors of the Premier League for him.”
The article also mentions that the 23-year-old, who has committed to the club until 2027, has a release clause of €75m.
Whether United continue their admiration for Costa after seeing what happened in Qatar remains to be seen. A deeper look at the rest of the campaign might be in order for now.
