- 4 hours ago
Man Utd identify 'outside' Onana replacement
Jacque Talbot
- Updated: 15 Dec 2024 13:55 GMT
- 6 min read
Manchester United are looking to replace Andre Onana and an outside option is being lined up, according to reports.
Botafogo goalkeeper John Victor is the man who would replace the former Inter shot-stopper.
Onana had a tricky first season at United but his mistakes are now few and far between. But he did appear to get into old habits and passed the ball to a Viktoria Plzen player as he conceded a simple goal in the Europa League.
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Football Insider has named United and Tottenham as clubs eyeing Victor - and they even have his agent on record. “I have had many phone calls from clubs in Europe enquiring about John and that is no surprise after what he has achieved with Botafogo,” Pedro Gutierrez said to the outlet.
Current ETV
André Onana
GK
Man Utd
André Onana
GK
Man Utd
ETV Range
€21.3M - €35.6M
“There has been interest from clubs in England, Germany, Portugal and elsewhere, but John would prefer to play in the best league in the world – the Premier League.
“Liverpool and Manchester City both have Brazilian goalkeepers in Alisson and Ederson and they have both been successful in England.
“John would like the opportunity to emulate those two and become the latest Brazilian goalkeeper to showcase his talents in the Premier League.”
Victor has established himself as a reliable presence for Botafogo, keeping an impressive 22 clean sheets in 51 appearances for the club. However, at 28 years old, his career tally of just 105 games is remarkably low for a player of his age.
Despite his limited experience, Victor is determined to emulate the success of top Brazilian goalkeepers like Ederson and Alisson. Goalkeepers often enjoy longevity in their careers, many playing well into their 30s and beyond. Victor still has plenty of time to make his mark on the global stage.
Amorim to sign a new keeper?
There are several positions in which Amorim and the Man Utd hierarchy need to upgrade the playing personnel at the club and having to sign another - surely expensive - goalkeeper is something they can ill-afford to do in the present financial situation.
Before Man Utd can sign in 2025, they will have to sell to avoid breaching financial regulations and this means that they need to be very careful and smart about which positions they aim to bolster.
For now, Amorim is keeping the faith in Onana. "You have to take it like it is,’ the Portuguese said after Plzen. "He had already, in the past, a past situation like that. We have to work on this...But we managed [to come back]. We managed to help Onana, like he did in the past for us."
However, should Onana continue to make mistakes, Man Utd may have to be forced into a change that seemed unthinkable just a few weeks ago.
