Manchester United have reached an agreement with Newcastle United to sign goalkeeper Martin Dubravkaon an initial loan deal, according Fabrizio Romano.
The Red Devils opened talks for the Slovakia international last week, and it was initially suggested that the Magpies could turn down their proposal to sign him on loan with an option to buy.
However, the Tynesiders have now been convinced over a similar deal, as per Romano. They have agreed a loan deal with a £5 million buy clause, and Dubravka is now on the cusp of joining United.
Romano says personal terms have already been agreed and the goalkeeper is now travelling to Manchester to undergo his medical on Tuesday.
Our view:
United have recently picked up momentum with back-to-back Premier League wins, but manager Erik ten Hag would still want more signings before Thurday’s transfer deadline.
A new goalkeeper has been one of the top targets for United, and they are now set to sign Dubravka, who could be a handy competitor to David de Gea during the current season.
De Gea did not put a foot wrong in the previous campaign, but he has started the current one in unconvincing fashion with a couple of goalkeeping blunders already in the league.
Despite this, he has continued to remain the number one under Ten Hag, but things could change later on this season if he struggles to adapt to the manager’s tactical system.
Dubravka does not have exceptional passing attributes, but he is definitely more commanding in the box. The 33-year-old is more mobile than De Gea and can make high claims.
He is also strong when it comes to long passes. He registered an impressive 8.6 long balls per league game last term, much superior to what De Gea achieved in the same period (3.1).
The arrival of Dubravka would mean that De Gea can’t take his place for granted. If he has another poor league outing between the sticks, there is every chance of him being dropped.
United have already made four signings this summer in Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen, Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro. They reportedly agreed a deal for Antony yesterday.
