Man Utd eye €50m Onana replacement after 'losing confidence'

Willem Leijgraf

Updated: 25 Sept 2023 15:49 BST
4 min read

Andre Onana, Man Utd, 2023/24 — © ProShots

Manchester United are closely monitoring the activities of Atletico Madrid's Jan Oblak, Spanish media report.

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With this, the club of coach Erik ten Hag seem to indicate that they are ready to dump summer purchase Andre Onana. In the last transfer period, Man Utd paid more than €50 million to reunite the former Ajax player with the Dutch boss, but so far the Cameroon international has not yet managed to impress.

Oblak could reportedly be an option to fill the gap left by David de Gea at United in the coming transfer window. The Spaniard left the Red Devils after more than ten years of service and is currently still without a club.

READ: Onana 'a fur coat with no knickers' for Man Utd

United would be able to pick up Oblak for €50m from Atleti, where he is under contract until mid-2028. The Slovenian international would like a move to the Premier League and has allegedly told the Manchester giant that they ought to start negotiations with his employer.

Ready to move on from Onana?

Reports of Manchester United's interest in a new goalkeeper come less than a week after Onana's questionable performance against Bayern Munich.

During the Champions League match with the German top club - a 4-3 loss - the shot-stopper made a painful mistake with the first goal, which was scored by Leroy Sane. "He undid much of Manchester United's early promise,” wrote the Daily Mail.

Onana was signed by United in the summer window as a replacement for De Gea, who could not reach a new agreement and was therefore left without a club. The Spanish goalkeeper had already agreed to a new contract at a lower salary, but this was withdrawn at the last minute by the English giants.

READ: Man Utd stance on Tottenham defender Sergio Reguilon revealed

Manchester United then reportedly made him a new offer at an even lower salary, but he did not agree to this. De Gea was linked with a return to Spain in the summer, where Real Madrid and Real Betis were mentioned as possible destinations.

In the Red Devils' search for a new goalkeeper, Justin Bijlow's name also came up. The Feyenoord goalkeeper had made such an impression in their championship season that he appeared on the radar at Old Trafford. An actual transfer did not materialise, so Bijlow stayed at Feyenoord, where the goalkeeper is currently out of action for a longer period of time due to a broken wrist.