Manchester United have had a very quiet transfer window so far, with Tuesday bringing some more bad news on that front. According to a report in ESPN, the club will be able to spend this summer, but the overall transfer budget will be diminished by Financial Fair Play obligations.
This despite the news today that United’s third-quarter financial results project the full fiscal year revenue to hit a record £630m to £640m.
In other words, there is still money flowing like water, but apparently United will be hamstrung by FFP at the same time. So with that as the backdrop, let’s dive into some transfer talk, focusing on the two total makeover of the goalkeeping position. They will need a new starting shot stopper, as David de Gea will likely leave as a free agent this summer.
De Gea’s contract expires on Friday, and unless there is an 11th hour breakthrough, he’ll be leaving the club on a free.
And unless he’s willing to
a.) take a sizeable pay-cut and
b.) reconcile the fact that manager Erik ten Hag has refused to guarantee him the starting gig in between the sticks next season, there won’t be a contract extension.
It looks nearly certain that United and De Gea will part ways after 12 years together.
So who replaces De Gea?
It won’t be Dean Henderson, who is moving closer to a permanent move to Nottingham Forest. We covered that yesterday. The successor could be Inter Milan man Andre Onana. That is according to a report in Italian outlet Corriere Della Sera claims Inter’s Andre.
Inter will reportedly sell Onana to United for €50m (approx. £43m), having come down from their original demands, a higher valuation of about €60m (approx. £51.6m).
The 27-year-old Cameroon international could be the next No.1 for United, who will have to sign at least two, if not up to three, goalkeepers this summer. Andre Onana could be the first, as the report in the Italian media claims that Inter Sporting Director Piero Ausilio, has already gone to England to ‘”close the deal.”
So I guess it is almost “here we go” time on this Andre Onana deal.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.