Manchester United have ramped up their interest in long-term target Zion Suzuki with the club targeting a new goalkeeper this summer as Andre Onana’s woeful form continues to haunt Ruben Amorim’s side.
Onana, 29, was almost single-handedly responsible for the Red Devils crashing out of Europe last season, finishing bottom of their Champions League group after a series of high-profile mistakes by the Cameroonian international.
Onerous Onana
Last night, Onana did his best to repeat the trick in the Europa League with United facing off against Olympique Lyonnais in the first-leg of the quarter-final of the Europa League.
The competition represents last opportunity to salvage success in an otherwise abysmal season at Old Trafford with the Reds currently languished in 13th place in the Premier League table.
Victory in the final in Bilbao in May would add another trophy to United’s glittering cabinet but, more crucially, it would also provide first-seed qualification into next season’s Champions League.
And with the club seeking a drastic overhaul of the first-team squad, the increased revenue of Europe’s elite competition, as well as the allure it holds for potential recruits, would prove invaluable in the transfer window this summer.
Beating Lyon at the Groupama Stadium last night was step one of this plan; a plan which 10 out of the 11 players Amorim selected were happy to follow, though Rasmus Hojlund’s performance was more of a help to the Ligue 1 side than his own.
The one odd man out was Onana, who produced an abysmal display in France to gift Lyon two goals. The second was a last-gasp equaliser just minutes after Joshua Zirkzee had come on to score what should have constituted a late winner, giving the Reds a lead to take back to Manchester next week.
Instead, the Cameroonian parried a shot straight back into the path of French international Rayan Cherki who salvaged a draw for his side, meaning the second leg will start on level proceedings at Old Trafford.
United were not particularly good last night. But they certainly produced a decent enough performance to have defeated a rather average Lyon side, if not for the double agent inhabiting their box.
And it appears Amorim, and the club’s executive branch, are at their wits ends with Onana, who has produced the most mistakes (9) leading to goals amongst Premier League teams in all competitions since arriving in England two years ago.
Save Us Suzuki
TalkSPORT reveals United have “stepped up their scouting” of Suzuki with the club intent on bringing in a new goalkeeper this summer.
The Red Devils had previously come close to signing the 22-year-old Japanese international two years ago but he rejected their advances in favour of more first-team opportunities.
Suzuki joined Parma for £6.5 million last summer after spending the previous season on loan at Belgian Pro League side Sint-Truiden. And the shot stopper’s impressive performances for the Italian side has seen him emerge as one of the best goalkeepers in Serie A this season.
Parma are believed to value Suzuki at the £40 million mark meaning any pursuit by United this summer will be a costly one, worth many times more than the price they could have agreed two years ago.
But when your current goalkeeper, who cost an even greater fee, is so consistent in his inconsistency, so reliably unreliable, and such an asset to the opposition team, it’s a price worth paying for United.
Featured image Alessandro Sabattini via Getty Images
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
