Man Utd Fail With £25m Bid For Slovenian International

With the summer transfer window in full swing, managers are working hard trying to strengthen their squads for the new season so we’ll bring you all the news and gossip. Today, Man Utd are linked with Atletico Madrid keeper Jan Oblak…

Manchester United have seen a €35m (£25m) offer for Jan Oblak rejected by Atletico Madrid as Louis van Gaal continues to search for potential replacements for David De Gea, according to a report in the Mirror.

The United boss has decided to leave De Gea out of today’s squad for their Premier League opener against Tottenham due to the on-going uncertainty surrounding his future at Old Trafford.

De Gea’s omission has intensified speculation that the Spanish stopper will join Real Madrid this summer and it does look increasingly likely that his move to the Bernabeu is a question of when, not if.

That would leave van Gaal in need of a new goalkeeper and United have been strongly linked with a number of players in recent weeks, but it appears the Dutch boss has set his sights on Jan Oblak.

The Mirror are carrying a report today, which originates from Spanish outlet Marca, that claims United tabled a £25m offer for the Slovenian No.1 only to to see it rejected out-of-hand by Atletico Madrid.

Oblak only moved to Madrid from Benfica 12 months ago and was impressive during his debut season in La Liga so the 22-year-old could have been viewed as the ideal long-term replacement for De Gea.

However, it appears Diego Simeone is keen to keep hold of the keeper ahead of the new season so unless United are prepared to up their offer, van Gaal is going to have to look elsewhere in his search for a new No.1.

I personally think United could have had a lucky escape here as although Oblak has plenty of potential, I feel van Gaal should be bringing in a player who’s more established to try and fill De Gea’s boots.

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The Spaniard was United’s stand-out player last season and he’s developed into one of the best shot-stoppers in world football so I think United need a top class keeper rather than a youngster with potential.

Hugo Lloris would be ideal in my opinion and could be available for a similar price as to what United were willing to pay for Oblak, but it remains to be seen whether Tottenham would be prepared to do business.

However, the priority for United should be to resolve De Gea’s future and then bring in a replacement as quickly as possible if he does eventually head back to Spain.