Manchester United displayed their fighting spirit in ample measure as they overcame Arsenal in the FA Cup 5-3 on penalties despite having to play for over an hour with 10 men.
Altay Bayindir, at fault for the club’s ejection from the Carabao Cup for his fatal error against Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter-final, got a rare nod to start ahead of No 1 Andre Onana.
And the Turkiye international emerged an unlikely hero, saving two penalties while also pulling off a string of fantastic saves to keep the Red Devils in the game.
Ruben Amorim was delighted with his reserve keeper and after being linked with an exit due to his lack of minutes, the Red Devils plan to refrain from allowing the Turk to leave in January.
Bayindir has impressed but his future remains up in the air
More cup opportunities are expected to follow but Bayindir could be forced to leave in the summer, especially if he fails to dislodge Andre Onana from the starting XI.
With Tom Heaton’s contract also up at the end of the season, the 20-time English league champions need quality backup and as per Talksport, they are eyeing a familiar name.
Zion Suzuki was a target for the club two summers ago, when Erik ten Hag was still in charge. The Japanese international’s shot-stopping ability and passing qualities made him a standout target despite his young age.
However, knowing he would have to play second-fiddle to Onana, the US-born goalie decided to move to Belgian minnows Sint-Truiden on loan instead.
His displays there caught the attention of Parma, who forked out £8.5 million in the summer to land him and it is safe to say that he has been a revelation in Italy, which has once again caught United’s eye.
Parma would like to keep him for one more year. However, bids in the region of £40 million would be hard to turn down for the Serie A side.
“Manchester United are among the sides eyeing up £40 million rated Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki – two years after missing the chance to snap him up for a fraction of that price tag.
“Parma are hoping they can keep Suzuki for at least one more season, but a big-money offer would test that resolve.”
City, Chelsea eyeing Suzuki
TBR Football have added that the 22-year-old has also attracted the interest of fierce rivals Manchester City Chelsea, Newcastle which means the Old Trafford side have a fight on their hands to land the goalkeeper.
“Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Newcastle United have all been closely monitoring Zion Suzuki over recent months, sources have told.”
Now, with huge gaps to fill up front and in wingback, whether the club can afford such a splurge on their goalkeepeing department remains to be seen.
If there is a funds crunch in the summer as well, the club might opt to try and hold on to their Turkish international instead of splurging big on the Japanese star.
Feature image Alessandro Sabattini via Getty Images
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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
