Ten Hag delight as Man Utd takeover sets up €90m swoop for Real Madrid ‘galactico’ in major ‘steal’
According to reports, Erik ten Hag is keen for Man Utd to sign Real Madrid and Spain goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois as David De Gea’s replacement.
De Gea is out of contract this summer and he is yet to sign a new deal. United had the option to extend his deal automatically on the same terms until 2024 but they have instead been keen for him to take a pay cut.
Earlier this week, a report from The Athletic confirmed that United and De Gea are ‘yet to come to an agreement’ over a new contract so it is looking increasingly likely that he will leave this summer.
If De Gea leaves, United will need to splash out on a new number-one goalkeeper and they are unsurprisingly being linked with several potential signings.
It has been claimed that they have made a bid for Courtois, who has emerged as one of the best goalkeepers in the world in recent years.
The 31-year-old previously had a spell at Chelsea and he is under contract until 2026 so Real Madrid can demand a significant fee for him.
Spanish outlet Nacional are reporting that Ten Hag’s United ‘will tempt’ Florentino Perez with a €90m offer for ‘one of his untouchables’ at Real Madrid.
Ten Hag is ‘calling for new faces’ and the report claims he will have an ‘endless budget’ if Sheikh Jassim wins the race to become the club’s new owner.
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Jab Oblak and Jordan Pickford have been ‘sounded out’ as potential targets but Courtois has been ‘set as their priority target’.
The ‘galactico’ is an ‘indispensable piece’ at Real Madrid. Man Utd are reportedly ‘aware of the difficulty involved in stealing’ one of their ‘biggest stars’ but the Premier League giants ‘are willing to try their luck’.
United ‘plan to make an offer of 90 million euros’ to get Courtois to ‘pack his bags’ and they are ‘confident they can agree a deal’.
Courtois’ wage could reportedly triple if this deal gets over the line but he is ‘very happy’ in Spain and ‘not too seduced by the idea of returning to England’.
While this transfer is pretty unlikely, Inter Milan’s Andre Onana is a far more realistic target for Man Utd.
The Cameroon international previously played under Ten Hag during their time at Ajax and they could be reunited this summer.
It was claimed earlier this week that Onana’s agent has been ‘in Manchester’ for talks with Man Utd and it has been indicated that he would cost around £43m if they signed him from the Serie A giants.
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