Forget Onana! Dutch star is Man Utd's ideal De Gea replacement

Tom Weber

• Updated: 4 Jul 2023 06:51 BST
• 4 min read

Feyenoord goalkeeper Justin Bijlow has emerged as a potential replacement for David de Gea, who is currently a free agent after seeing his Manchester United contract expire.

The Spanish goalkeeper struggled to adapt to Erik ten Hag's ball-playing demands and made several high-profile mistakes last season. Despite this United were keen to keep their modern-day club legend around, albeit on a reduced salary.

De Gea had already agreed to a new deal, but the club reneged on their initial offer. His contract expired and he is currently available on a Bosman, though negotiations with the Red Devils continue.

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Ten Hag's former player Andre Onana is seen as the favourite to succeed De Gea, but now the coach appears to have set his sights on compatriot Justin Bijlow.

Despite the fact that Feyenoord want to extend Bijlow's contract, the 25-year-old goalkeeper seems keen on a departure. The Dutchman has been with Feyenoord since 2006 and thinks he is ready for the next step in his career. Both clubs are said to have already held talks about a possible transfer for the goalkeeper.

With a league title in his pocket, Bijlow can safely bring down the curtains on his period in Rotterdam this summer. According to Feyenoord experts 1908, the eight-time Dutch international hoped to leave De Kuip last year, but ultimately remained loyal to the club for another season. Now is the right time to make the move abroad.

Why Man Utd is the right step

The Career Tool from FootballTransfers' partners SciSports shows that Manchester United would be an excellent destination for Bijlow. The Red Devils have a Club Fit of 72, which is partly based on the fact that Ten Hag uses the same formation as Arne Slot currently at Feyenoord. As a result, Bijlow should have little trouble with acclimatising to life at Old Trafford.

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What is important to mention is that the Club Fit would rise considerably if De Gea's departure were already set in stone. The Spanish goalkeeper has a SciSkill of 107.8 and is therefore a lot further in his development than 25-year-old Bijlow (79.3).

The Club Fit is based on the current circumstances. Bijlow might not get a starting place with De Gea still around. If the Spanish goalkeeper left Manchester United, the chances of playing time for Bijlow would increase dramatically and with it the Club Fit.

It is also striking that Bijlow has a Potential Development of no fewer than five stars at Manchester United. This shows that the shot-stopper could develop excellently at Old Trafford and would be of value to Erik ten Hag's team for years to come.

The Oranje star had a major share in Feyenoord's national title last season and has shown that he is ready for the next step. In Manchester, Bijlow could continue this development without any problems.