Football

Manchester United in talks to sign new goalkeeper

Manchester United in talks to sign new goalkeeper

Manchester United are in talks to sign Crystal Palace goalkeeper, Jack Butland. Erik Ten Hag has been on the lookout for a new understudy to David de Gea after Newcastle recalled Martin Dubravka from his loan spell at Old Trafford. 

Currently, United have Tom Heaton as the only backup to David de Gea. With the Red Devils still competing in four competitions, reinforcements in the goalkeeper department are seen as imperative. 

While rumours still circulate that David de Gea won’t be the long-term number one under Erik Ten Hag, the priority during this window is to bring in a reliable number two and Butland appears to fit the bill. He also has the added benefit of being homegrown which helps with Premier League squad registration. 

A goalkeeper with bags of ability 

It is somewhat perplexing that Jack Butland’s career has gone the way it has. As a young player coming through the ranks at Birmingham City, he was tipped for big things. He was even a surprise inclusion in England’s Euro 2012 squad at the age of 18. 

After moving to Stoke City in 2013, he enjoyed a number of successful loan spell before establishing himself as a Premier League first-choice goalkeeper at the age of 21. He made over 150 league appearances for Stoke, and stayed with them after their relegation in 2018. 

As a member of England’s 2018 World Cup squad, it was expected that the Butland would move to a Premier League club but chose to stay with Stoke instead. It was arguably this decision that caused his career to stagnate. 

butland for england

After mixed performances in the Championship, Crystal Palace signed Butland for £1m in 2020 but he has never managed to establish himself as first choice at Selhurst Park. Over the course of three and a half seasons in South London, he has only managed to rack up 10 Premier League appearances and his contract runs out next summer. 

While a move to Old Trafford is unlikely to bring more Premier League opportunities, it’s likely an easy decision for the Englishman to make on a short-term basis. Regardless, the biggest decision for Butland will come in the summer with first-team football surely the priority for the 29-year-old. 

A goalkeeping conundrum 

At the start of the season, the general consensus was that Manchester United would need to replace David de Gea with a more modern goalkeeper if they were to fully adapt to Erik Ten Hag’s style of football. 

De Gea, historically, isn’t a goalkeeper that likes to come too far off his line to sweep, nor is he one that is renowned for his distribution. To be fair to the Spaniard, though, he has made considerable improvements in both areas since the Ten Hag took over at Old Trafford. 

The Dutchman may now be less inclined to bite the bullet on a big-money signing for a new number-one goalkeeper and instead, opt to use next summer’s transfer funds elsewhere. If he does decide to move de Gea on, then names such as Yan Sommer and Diogo Costa are likely to rear their heads again in six months’ time. 


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