Dimitar Berbatov has advised his former team Manchester United to sign Andre Onana or Mike Maignan if David de Gea departs in the summer transfer window.
De Gea is currently the longest-serving player at Manchester United, having been at Old Trafford since his transfer from Atletico Madrid in 2011.
At present, De Gea’s future with the Red Devils appears uncertain as his contract is set to expire in a matter of days.
So far, there have been no indications that De Gea will imminently sign a new contract, leading to predictions that he will leave Old Trafford in the summer.
Berbatov is one of the individuals who doesn’t want to see De Gea leave Manchester United. He hopes that De Gea will remain at the club next season.
“I think he needs to stay and try to be better than last season,” Berbatov said to Betfred.
“Everyone focuses on whether he is good enough with his feet, and it is obvious that it’s an area he needs to improve, but in my opinion, he should stay.”
Several goalkeepers have been linked to Manchester United, but Berbatov believes that Onana or Maignan would be the best options to replace De Gea.
“If David de Gea leaves this summer, then I would like them to recruit Andre Onana or Mike Maignan from AC Milan,” he added.
“Both goalkeepers are exceptional, and Onana impressed everyone who watched the Champions League final with his composure on the ball and passing ability.
“They should assess their availability, and because he impressed me so much, I hope Manchester United inquire about him.”
Erik ten Hag likely wants to strengthen the main striker, midfielder, and goalkeeper positions if David de Gea indeed departs.
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Abundant funds would certainly support Erik ten Hag’s work in the summer 2023 transfer window, but it is hindered by the ongoing sale of Manchester United.
Although it seems that Manchester United will eventually fall into the hands of Sheikh Jassim, the head of Erik ten Hag is still plagued by uncertainty. So why is that?
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Chelsea has made a decision regarding their rival Manchester United’s interest in Mason Mount. Reports suggest that The Blues have rejected the third and final offer from the Red Devils in the summer transfer market.
As known, Manchester United had previously submitted two proposals to the West London club. The first offer worth £40 million was rejected by Chelsea. The same goes for the second proposal worth £50 million.
However, the Red Devils are not tired of pursuing the signature of their target player. They made their final offer on Friday (June 23, 2023) afternoon local time and stated that they would withdraw from the agreement if their efforts were once again rejected by The Blues.
Transfer expert journalist Fabrizio Romano stated that Manchester United’s latest offer is worth £55 million. That figure is still far below Chelsea’s expectation, as they aim to receive £70 million from Mount’s sale.
According to the Red Devils, the offer they made is already very realistic. This is because Mason Mount’s contract is set to expire within the next year.
As a result of this situation, The Athletic’s report, cited via Metro, claims that Manchester United once again received an unexpected response from Chelsea. The Blues reportedly rejected the latest offer from the Red Devils.
However, it does not mean that Manchester United has to immediately abandon the deal for Mason Mount. They still have the chance to bring the English international to the club if negotiations continue.
Quoting Metro’s report, The Blues have submitted a counterproposal to the Red Devils regarding the potential transfer of Mount with a price below £70 million.
Mauricio Pochettino’s club stated that they would accept a fixed fee of £58 million plus add-ons of £7 million as the price for the departure of the 24-year-old footballer from Stamford Bridge.
When accumulated, that figure is only £5 million less than Chelsea’s initial demand and still £10 million apart from the amount offered by the Red Devils.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag hopes that the deal with Chelsea to bring in Mason Mount can be finalized as soon as possible. The Dutch tactician wants to involve Mount in Manchester United’s pre-season tour.
The Red Devils will start their pre-season tour on July 12 with a match against Leeds United in Oslo, Norway. After that, Manchester United will play four matches on their tour in the United States at the end of this month.
For Ten Hag, this is not the first time he has aimed to bring Mason Mount into his squad. The bald-headed coach also intended to sign the player when he was still in charge of Ajax at the Johan Cruyff Arena.
Their first meeting occurred when the player was on loan at Vitesse Arnhem. Mount, who was 18 years old at the time, scored the third goal through a free-kick when his team defeated Ajax 3-2 in March 2018.
Ten Hag, who was in his eighth match in charge of Ajax, was immediately captivated by Mason Mount. He reportedly attempted to recruit the player on loan from Chelsea.
On the other hand, Mount himself has been a part of the West London club for quite some time. The 1999-born player has been with Chelsea since joining the club’s academy in 2005.
With The Blues, Mount has made a total of 195 appearances in all competitions. He has contributed 33 goals and 37 assists for Chelsea as an English international.
Unfortunately, Mount will soon enter the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge. Negotiations for a new agreement have hit a dead end as the West London club refuses to offer an amount close to Mount’s demands.
According to Metro’s report, the 24-year-old player currently earns less than £100,000 per week.
He hopes to double that salary, considering Mount has solidified his position as one of the key players at Stamford Bridge.
