According to Fichajes, Manchester United have expressed interest in signing Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou in the summer transfer window.
The Spanish online publication claims the Red Devils will do everything to complete a deal at the end of the season before the potential departure of David De Gea – who is yet to sign a new deal with the club.
De Gea, who joined Man Utd in 2011, is out of contract in June. He was signed from Atletico Madrid in a deal worth £18.9m. The shot stopper has made over 500 appearances for United and his impressive performances saw him being rewarded with a whooping £375,000 a week deal when his contract was last extended in 2019.
The Spanish international has been one of the standout players for Erik ten Hag’s side this season, keeping 14 clean sheets in 32 league games across all competitions.
United triggered one-year contract extensions for England duo Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw, Portugal defender Diogo Dalot and Brazil midfielder Fred in December, but they have so far opted not to take up on the option to extend De Gea’s deal.
Therefore, Man Utd are in the market for a potential replacement for De Gea and have reportedly identified Bounou as a serious target.
Competition
However, the report says Man Utd will face stiff competition for Bounou’s signature from Premier League rivals West Ham and Tottenham, who want him as a long-term replacement to club skipper Hugo Lloris.
According to Fichajes, the Morocco international has a release clause of £44m [€50m] after renewing his contract until the summer of 2025, however, Ten Hag is said to be determined to get the deal done.
The Dutch gaffer likes Bounou a lot due to impressive performances for Sevilla over the past few seasons in La Liga. He was named among FIFA’s Top Three Best Goalkeepers following his exploits at the 2022 World Cup.
He conceded five goals in six matches during the tournament in Qatar as Morocco finished 4th after losing to Croatia. This season, the 31-year-old has featured in 24 appearances for Sevilla and kept five clean sheets in all competitions.
Man Utd signed Jack Butland from Crystal Palace on loan for the rest of the season last month, however, they are still in the market for a top class shot-stopper and have been linked with several goalkeepers including Jordan Pickford and Diogo Costa.
Ten Hag’s preference of Bounou could play a key role in getting the deal done in the summer as he looks to reshape his team.
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