Manchester United head of recruitment Christopher Vivell has opened talks with Frankfurt to sign 22-year-old goalkeeper Kaua Santos as a replacement for Andre Onana.
Onana cost United in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final last Thursday and was dropped by Ruben Amorim in favour of Atlay Bayindir for their trip to Newcastle at the weekend.
The Turkey international didn’t cover himself in glory though in the 4-1 defeat and if anything appears to have sharpened Vivell’s focus to bring in a new goalkeeper this summer.
Burnley’s James Trafford, Parma’s Zion Suzuki and Leicester’s Mads Hermansen are among ten goalkeepers the Red Devils have been linked with in recent weeks and a Bild report now claims that United have added Santos to their shortlist.
Vivell is said to have spoken with Frankurt’s sporting director, Markus Krosche, about the Brazilian during the Bundesliga side’s Europa League tie with Tottenham last Thursday.
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Spurs’ technical director, Johan Lange, also spoke to Krosche about the possibility of signing the goalkeeper during the game despite the return leg in Frankfurt this evening only being Santos’ 14th senior game.
The German club signed the young star from the Flamengo academy for £1.3m in the summer of 2023, but he’s had to bide his time before being handed this recent opportunity to shine with club captain Kevin Trapp keeping him out of the side.
The report claims Frankfurt view Santos as the long-term successor to Trapp and are therefore demanding a €60m (£55.1m) transfer fee this summer.
Krosche told Sport Bild this week: “We will definitely not sell Kaua this summer.”
Speaking earlier this season, Santos said that he shaped his game around Manchester City’s Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson.
“I’ve always liked Ederson, because he has that characteristic of playing with his feet,” said Santos.
“I play with my feet and with my speed. Big goalkeepers are usually slow, but in my case, it’s different. Having worked a lot on this, I consider myself a fast goalkeeper.”
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Vivell has been a busy boy as he scours the market for new additions to aid Ruben Amorim in his rebuild, with Bild further claiming that the recruitment chief has added Arsenal target Benjamin Sesko to his striker shortlist.
Vivell’s ‘tour of Germany’ over the weekend saw him first watch RB Leipzig take on Wolfsburg before taking in Stuttgart vs Werder Bremen.
His search for new recruits is ‘in full swing’ and it’s claimed he wanted a closer look at several young players in the Leipzig squad, but Sesko ‘in particular’.
The 21-year-old – who’s got 19 goals and six assists in all competitions this season – is seen as a ‘certain departure’ by Leipzig, who are prepared for his £66m release clause to be triggered.
The report further claims that the Red Devils may have an advantage their bid to beat Arsenal to the Slovenia international’s signature as Vivell has known Sesko for a long time, having brought him to Salzburg as a 16-year-old.
