Bye, De Gea! Man Utd eye world-class replacement

Tom Weber

• Updated: 16 May 2023 05:51 BST
• 3 min read

Manchester United may have found the solution to their goalkeeper issues in Borussia Dortmund's Gregor Kobel.

The Red Devils are solidly back on track for Champions League qualification after their comfortable win over Wolves at the weekend. Prior to the game, there were, however, some fears that Erik ten Hag's men had spurned their chance to get back into Europe's premier competition after back-to-back defeats to Brighton and West Ham.

One man partly to blame for their loss to the Hammers was goalkeeper David de Gea, who let in a rather simple effort that ultimately proved decisive in downing United. It reignited a conversation about Ten Hag's goalkeeping department as the Spaniard had already made several high-profile errors before the game against West Ham, leading to many United fans clamouring for a replacement.

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Behind the scenes, United have been working on a new deal for De Gea and they are keen to keep him around, but if reports are to be believed, they won't ignore their fans' pleas, and they may have already found a solution to their woes.

Chelsea target Kobel

The man in question is Borussia Dortmund's Gregor Kobel, according to the Independent. The Swiss international has been outstanding for the Black and Yellow since his €15 million move from Stuttgart in 2021, which has in turn earned him repeated links to Chelsea, who are also in the market for a goalkeeper.

Though Kobel has been great, one mustn't neglect to mention that he has not been infallible. His most high-profile errors came in Dortmund's crucial, potentially title-deciding game against Bayern earlier this year.

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Responsible for two goals on the day, Kobel's performance may have cost Dortmund their first Bundesliga title in a decade, though there is a good argument to be made that the Black and Yellow wouldn't have been challengers in the first place without Kobel.

Despite these mistakes, it is clear why United would want to sign the 25-year-old: he is comfortable with the ball at his feet in addition to being a great shot-stopper. Kobel is much more adept in possession than De Gea and he would suit Ten Hag's style of play perfectly.