MANCHESTER UNITED TURN TO ITALY AS FEARS OF DE GEA EXIT GROW
MANCHESTER United have started investigating alternative goalkeeping options such as Internazionale’s Samir Handanovic and Milan’s Gianluigi Donnarumma, amid growing worries that David de Gea could leave for Real Madrid this year.
The Spanish club have made a new number-one one of their top priorities for the next transfer window, and have resurrected their long-standing interest in De Gea, but are also looking into signing Thibaut Courtois from Chelsea.
The Belgian has been considered the slightly more likely option, but those close to him say he’s still “undecided” on his future, and the London club are also bracing themselves for an off-season of tough talks with the Bernabeu given the simultaneous interest in Eden Hazard.
De Gea’s situation is different, given that it is known he and girlfriend Edurne Garcia have long wanted to return to his home city, with United having sanctioned a sale in 2015 only for it to infamously fall down because of administrative issues at the last minute. The 26-year-old subsequently signed a new contract, but the belief has always been he would eventually go to Real Madrid, and there are growing concerns among the United hierarchy and the playing squad that could finally be the case this year.
As such, United have started to look at potential replacements, with Inter’s Handanovic currently the leading candidate.
The 32-year-old Slovenian has attracted similar Premier League interest from Liverpool and Manchester City, but not to the extent of United.
Milan’s highly-rated 18-year-old Donnarumma is also an option and represented by Mino Raiola, who is similarly agent to Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
United midfielder Ander Herrera cast further doubt on De Gea’s Old Trafford future last week, when asked the situation while on international duty with Spain.
“It’s difficult for him (De Gea) to one day be at one place, and then to be at another the next,” Herrera said. “He learned a lot from this. It has made him more mature. I want him to be the one defending Manchester United’s goal. Hopefully it will be like that, but anything can happen in football.” – The Independent