Journalist Jan Aage Fjortoft has suggested Manchester United could yet make a move for Paris Saint-Germain outcast Gianluigi Donnarumma, despite him currently being in talks with arch-rivals Manchester City.
Indeed, the Italian captain, who’s been hailed as ‘one of the very best’ ‘keepers in world football, has yet to make a concrete decision on his next club after being bizarrely frozen out of Luis Enrique’s squad at the Parc des Princes. It’s thought his contract talks reaching a stalemate with PSG prompted them to push for a sale this summer to avoid him leaving for nothing next year.
As such, Donnarumma, a Champions League and Euros winner, hasn’t been short of suitors since he publicly confirmed he would be on the move before deadline day, but the timescale of his admission (two weeks before the end of the window) has made matters slightly difficult for the sides interested in taking him on board.
Donnarumma to United: How could it come to fruition?
Take United, for example.
Heading into the summer, it was never completely off the table that a new goalkeeper would be brought in to strengthen Ruben Amorim’s ranks. However, it was suggested by numerous outlets that an outgoing would need to be sanctioned first, presumably Andre Onana, who spent the entirety of pre-season nursing a hamstring injury.
Onana’s lack of training in the build-up to last Sunday’s season-opener led to Altay Bayindir being granted a rare Premier League start. Like his counterpart, he, too, struggled to really fill fans with confidence following his showing in the 1-0 defeat, which is far from ideal on matchday one.
Onana out, Donnarumma in?
Fjortoft has claimed this morning that if United are to have ‘any realistic hopes’ of securing a top-six finish, a new No.1 will have to be acquired.
He adds: “Donnarumma is a world-class keeper, and I understand there’s still a chance he could end up in Manchester… on the red side of the city.
“The challenge for United, though, is that they’ll need to move at least one goalkeeper out before that becomes possible.”
Speculation earlier in the window saw Onana linked with Saudi Pro League teams, AS Monaco, as well as a surprise return to Inter Milan, though nothing has materialised up to this stage.
