Manchester United could be headed for a major shake-up in their goalkeeping position group. According to a report in ESPN UK, United are looking to sign Swiss and Borussia Monchengladbach No. 1 Yann Sommer this upcoming summer.
Sommer, 33, will then be available on a free transfer, as his contract will have expired. This could provide competition for, or perhaps even serve as a replacement to, incumbent David de Gea. Left of Spain’s World Cup roster, despite starting all of La Roja’s matches at the last World Cup, De Gea was a part of the United squad that traveled to his home country for the warm weather training trip and pair of club friendlies.
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Oddly enough, he was left out of the team entirely, for an undisclosed reason, in the first match- a loss to Cadiz. This comes amid an uncertain future for De Gea, as reports indicate that contract extension talks have yet to begin. His current contract expires at the end of this season, but they do have a club option to extend one more year, until June 2024.
Elsewhere, Dean Henderson, out on loan yet again this season, this time to Nottingham Forest, is set to return at season’s end. The loan deal did not include an option to make his loan move a permanent deal. Henderson was briefly the United No. 1, for a period in early 2021, but it is clearly De Gea’s starting gig for the time being.
Moving on to who did start that 4-2 loss to Cadiz yesterday, Martin Dubravka, he came over on loan this past summer transfer window, but he’s expected to return to Newcastle United at the end of the season. Also on the squad, at the goalkeeping position, is Tom Heaton.
As it would be a move abroad, for a player on an expiring deal, the reps for Yann Sommer can officially start talking on Jan. 1.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.