After a difficult start to his Manchester United career, Andre Onana has cemented his place as the undisputed No 1 at the club, restricting reserve keeper Altay Bayindir to only three appearances in two seasons.
And the Turk, who has started in both Carabao Cup games this season, wants more minutes and has been linked with a return to Turkiye.
And that could force the club into action and as per Fichajes, the club are eyeing Arsenal’s Karl Hein to strengthen their goalkeeping department.
The Estonian is currently on loan at La Liga side Real Valladolid and has started in all of their league games, impressing with his shot-stopping ability.
Arsenal youth star on United’s radar
Apart from the Red Devils, Arsenal’s North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur are also looking at the 22-year-old as their reserve keeper.
The report mentions the Gunners are open to his sale but want €20-25 million for his signature. Whether the duo shell out that kind of money for a backup keeper remains to be seen.
“LaLiga has a new protagonist, as Manchester United and Tottenham have entered the market to sign a new goalkeeper who is making a big impression in the Spanish league.
“Karl Hein , 22, arrived in Spain as a long-term project to gain experience and maturity in a competitive environment. Currently playing for Arsenal FC, he is on loan at Real Valladolid CF.
“The Estonian goalkeeper has quickly adapted to the pace of LaLiga, showing great reflexes and an excellent ability to react, key elements that have put him on the radar of top-level clubs.
Hein’s future
“Manchester United, in the midst of a rebuilding process, are reportedly looking for a new goalkeeper to compete with their current first-choice goalkeeper, while Tottenham are also considering signing Karl Hein as part of their long-term project.”
His market value currently stands at €3 million according to Transfermarkt and he recently signed a new contract extension which clearly shows that Arsenal still feel he could be valuable.
It must be remembered that Hein is a full Estonia international and has made one appearance for the Arsenal senior team a couple of seasons ago.
Should he make the move, it will be another recent instance of an Arsenal youth product making a move to Manchester. United recently snapped up Chido Obi-Martin and another goalie in Hubert Graczyk from the London side.
Feature image Angel Martinez via Getty Images
Ayantan Chowdhury
Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
