United must show ambition to swoop in for 1.96m “human wall” with “exceptional reflexes” – opinion

Manchester United should attempt to sign Gianluigi Donnarumma if he cannot agree to a new deal at Paris Saint-Germain.

The Red Devils have so far prioritised strengthening their attack and have already sealed a deal for Matheus Cunha.

There is also a lot of positive noise around Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo who has reportedly made it clear he wants to join United.

Nonetheless, the Red Devils still have a big problem at the back with Andre Onana failing to convince after two years and 101 appearances for the club.

The Cameroonian has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia and United are said to be looking at young keepers to take his spot.

Ruben Amorim’s side must show more ambition though and go for an experienced head who can bring a calming influence to a talented but youthful defence.

They may just have the perfect opportunity as it appears that European champions PSG are struggling to agree a new deal with their keeper, Donnarumma.

The club should throw their hat in the ring for these three reasons.

Cheap price

Donnarumma is widely regarded as one of the best keepers in the world and under normal circumstances would carry a huge price tag.

Nonetheless, his current deal runs out next summer with no clear pathway forward for an agreement.

It has been reported that PSG may only ask something in the range of £25-30m, owing to the fact he has only one year left on his deal and the sale would be classified as pure profit.

Therefore, it could present clubs with a unique opportunity to steal away the Italian shot stopper for a fraction of his true value.

Experienced but yet to hit prime

At 26 years old, Donnarumma is still young for a keeper. His story is somewhat different however, as he broke onto the scene as AC Milan’s number one at just 16 years old.

Therefore, he has been playing for around a decade and he has already done so much. He has just won and kept a clean sheet in the Champions League final for PSG last weekend and has many more titles to his name.

He has won 10 trophies at PSG, including four league titles and was also famously the hero for Italy when they beat England on penalties to win Euro 2020 at Wembley.

Donnarumma has already achieved more in his career than most but he still has so much to give and could be ready for a new challenge in the toughest league of them all.

The opposite of Onana

When United signed Onana in 2023, fans were ecstatic that the club had finally brought in a modern ball-playing keeper who could dictate play like a quarterback. How wrong they were.

Onana has rarely shown his talent with the ball and truthfully, United under first Erik ten Hag and now Ruben Amorim, have barely given him the opportunity.

Donnarumma has been described as weak on the ball and is certainly not a modern style keeper.

Nonetheless, Amorim has reportedly made it clear that he requires a shot-stopping keeper who will bring presence to the United box. What’s more, with three centre backs in Amorim’s 3-4-3 formation, there is less pressure for the keeper to play a significant role in the build up.

Donnarumma standing at 1.96 metres, is a giant who has an incredible record when it comes to saving penalties. His imposing frame takes up the goal and clearly intimidates strikers.

His “positional awareness in his box is excellent” and his sheer size allows him to stay closer to his line, giving him more time to react in comparison to other keepers who rush towards the incoming attacker.

What’s more, it is “his shot-stopping ability for which he stands out most. He has exceptional reflexes and is adept both when facing close-range shots and shots from distance.”

“As an opponent sets themselves to shoot, Donnarumma will get into a low position and make sure he is on his toes as the shot is taken. This gives him the best chance of reacting to the shot, and he is capable of using his arms and his legs to keep shots out. His technique is particularly useful when facing shots from close range.”

This is in total contrast to Onana, who has been frequently lambasted for lacking significant natural instincts when it comes to the fundamentals of goalkeeping.

All in all, Donnarumma presents a wonderful opportunity to solve United’s woes between the posts once and for all and without having to break the budget either. The club must show the ambition to at least try and make it a reality.

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