Man Utd make contact over signing £34m Premier League star as Andre Onana replacement
The Red Devils are ready to upgrade their error-prone number one.
Manchester United have asked for information about signing Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen in the summer.
The Red Devils made just one first-team addition in January, with versatile Danish full-back Patrick Dorgu arriving from Lecce – in a deal worth in the region of £29million – to become the first signing of Ruben Amorim’s reign.
But INEOS are ready to throw their support behind Amorim with the funds required to rebuild of a squad which has, once again, fallen some way short of expectations in the Premier League this season.
It’s understood United’s hierarchy will prioritise signing a striker when the summer transfer window opens for business and Ipswich’s Liam Delap has emerged as the club’s primary target up front.
The Old Trafford giants are also keen to overhaul their current options in the wide areas, with Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Antony all set for the exit door at the Theatre of Dreams.
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At the other end of the pitch, the error-prone Andre Onana is still yet to convince as David de Gea’s successor and reports last month suggested Amorim was ready to sanction his departure.
Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel, Royal Antwerp’s Senne Lammens and Burnley’s James Trafford have all been linked in recent weeks and months – and a new name has come the the fore as a possible replacement for Onana.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, United are among the teams eyeing a summer bid to prise Verbruggen, 22, away from Brighton, along with Serie A giants AC Milan.
The report suggests United have even initiated contact over a proposed move for the young Netherlands international, who has impressed in the Premier League over the last two seasons.
Brighton signed Verbruggen from Anderlecht for a fee of around €20million (£17m) in 2023 – and it’s claimed the Seagulls would want to at least double their money if they are to let their number one leave.
The Dutchman’s current contract on the south coast runs through to June 2028.
Onana’s struggles between the sticks have come under the spotlight again this week after Nemanja Matic branded the Cameroon international ‘one of the worst goalkeepers’ in United’s history.
It came after Onana confidently declared that United were the overwhelming favourites to progress past Matic’s Lyon team in the Europa League quarter-finals.
Responding to Matic’s scathing remarks, Onana tweeted: ‘I would never be disrespectful to another club.
‘We know that tomorrow will be a difficult game against a strong opponent. We focus on preparing a performance to make our fans proud.
‘At least I’ve lifted trophies with the greatest club in the world. Some can’t say the same.’
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