Manchester United have reportedly ‘stepped up their scouting’ of Serie A star Zion Suzuki as their five-man shortlist to replace Andre Onana becomes six.
Onana cost United in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday, with the Cameroon international certainly at fault for the first and arguably the second as the game finished 2-2 in Lyon.
They were poorly timed clangers after Nemanja Matic claimed Onana was “the worst goalkeeper in Manchester United history” in response to the Red Devils stopper’s claim that his side are “way better” than their Ligue 1 opponents.
Ruben Amorim, who was appointed United manager in November, insisted after the game that he retains confidence in his No.1
He said: “If you look at the season I’ve made more mistakes than them during these last games and during these last months.
“There’s nothing I can say to Andre in this moment that will help him, so the most important thing is to be natural and then when the time comes I will choose the best XI to play. But I’m really confident in Andre.”
Despite that vote of confidence, the Daily Mail reported that the Portuguese boss is ‘considering taking Onana out of the firing line for Manchester United’s trip to Newcastle on Sunday with Altay Bayindir on stand-by to play at St James’ Park’.
The report adds that ‘Amorim is set to make a number of changes for the visit to Tyneside and could play his No. 2 keeper Bayindir in goal’.
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It’s claimed the United bosses are now scouring the market for a new No.1 goalkeeper and while reports suggesting they could make a shock bid to re-sign David de Gea have since been dismissed, it’s been claimed a five-man shortlist including Burnley’s James Trafford and Leicester’s Mads Hermansen has been drawn up by the club.
And now talkSPORT claim Suzuki is also being looked at as a possible future No.1 at Old Trafford, with the report claiming United have ‘stepped up their scouting’ of the Parma goalkeeper, who’s valued by the Serie A club at £40m.
United were strongly linked with the Japanese stopper in 2023 when he moved on loan to Belgian side Sint-Truiden from Urawa Red Diamonds and have reigned that interest following his £6.5m move to Parma in the summer.
The 22-year-old has kept five clean sheets in 30 Serie A appearances this term and is yet to make a single error leading to a goal in the league, while Onana has made three in the Premier League this term and eight in all competitions since the start of last season, the most of any keeper playing for a Premier League club.
