Manchester United’s season might not have gone the way the fans and the manager might have expected it to as the FA Cup is their best chance of success this season. Jose Mourinho is already looking to make amends and wants to improve on his squad come the start of the next season.
This has seen some of the finest stars in Europe linked with a move to Old Trafford recently and the latest name doing the rounds is that of German ace Marc Andre ter-Stegen.
Ter-Stegen Wanted As De Gea Replacement:
Manchester United will face a fight yet again this summer to keep star player David de Gea from moving back to Spain. La Liga giants Real Madrid are desperate for his signature and are expected to make a bid before the start of the season. Jose Mourinho will do what it takes to keep De Gea in England but has identified Ter-Stegen as the perfect replacement for the Spaniard.
Reports from Spain claim that United could make a bid of up to €100m for his services this summer and are confident of landing him. So will this be a good move for United?
Ter-Stegen And His Record:
A product of the academy at Borussia Monchengladbach, the 25-year old moved to Spain back in 2014 and took just a year to establish himself in the first team at Camp Nou. He is now the first choice shot-stopper for Ernesto Valverde and could also represent Germany in Russia, in the absence of Manuel Neuer, who is just back from an injury.
Known for his reflexes and ability to make point-blank saves, Ter-Stegen is a confident GK, who is quick off his line and is happy to play as a sweeper keeper but is also capable in a more traditional role. He loves to stay ahead of the game and is usually quick to snap up any balls thrown into the box. He is also comfortable with the ball at his feet and has a variety of long-range passes, that allow his side to set up attacks.
At just 25, he has already lifted a couple of La Liga titles and a Champions League title in his time in Spain and was in the UCL team of the season for the 2014-15 campaign. He is an established shot-stopper, right up there with the best and is a decent fit for United.
Can Untied Afford To Lose De Gea?
The biggest question for United fans will not be if Ter-Stegen is a good fit for the club. It will rather be if they can retain De Gea for another year. The Spaniard has easily been the most consistent player for the club in more than a couple of seasons now and losing him could have a knock-off effect on the whole squad.
Ter-Stegen can definitely replace his quality under the bar and the German’s price tag should also not be a problem if they sell De Gea, who will fetch even more but if Mourinho can, he should do all it takes to keep the Spaniard and avoid disrupting the squad.
So United should first try to fend off interest from Real Madrid and can start scouting for Ter-Stegen if they give up on De Gea.