Man Utd can sign ‘elite’ star for HALF PRICE after huge boost

Manchester United have been given a serious lift in their bid to sign Mike Maignan, with a report providing a worrying update over his AC Milan future.

Man Utd entered the market for a new goalkeeper in summer 2023 after allowing David de Gea to leave on a free transfer. United had offered De Gea a new contract before withdrawing it, which saw the Spaniard end his 12-year spell at Old Trafford before eventually landing at Fiorentina.

The Red Devils then paid Inter Milan £47million to make Andre Onana their new No 1. Erik ten Hag spearheaded the move as he had previously worked with Onana at Ajax.

While the 29-year-old is composed with the ball at his feet, he has been guilty of a host of errors during his time at United. That includes two mistakes in the recent 2-2 draw with Lyon in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final clash.

Onana was dropped for the 4-1 defeat to Newcastle over the weekend, though his replacement Altay Bayindir also made a mistake, leaving Ruben Amorim even more frustrated. Amorim has confirmed that Onana will return to the starting eleven for the second leg against Lyon.

Amorim wants United to sign a new No 1 this summer and CaughtOffside claim that Milan captain Maignan is among the top stars they are considering.

United are ‘long-term admirers’ of Maignan and would love to secure a blockbuster deal to bring him to the Premier League.

United have been put ‘on alert’ as Milan are ‘increasingly open’ to selling the France star for the right price this summer.

Talks between Maignan and Milan over a new contract have ‘stalled’. With Maignan’s current deal due to expire in June 2026, the Italian giants will need to cash in later this year to prevent him from pushing for a free-transfer exit at a later stage.

Milan have previously demanded as much as €80m (£68.5m / $91m) for their skipper, though his price tag has now fallen by half to just €40m (£34m / $45.5m).

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That represents fantastic value for money for a top-class player such as Maignan. Indeed, Liverpool’s Alisson has previously called him ‘elite’ and ‘one of the best in the world’.

Spending £34m on the former Lille star would save United money as they also look to bring in a new striker and central midfielder for Amorim.

It is important to note that Maignan is not the only shot-stopper United are considering as a replacement for Onana. They have also been linked with a 6ft 8in keeper on the radars of Chelsea and Manchester City.

Sources have previously informed TEAMtalk that Burnley’s James Trafford and Joan Garcia of Espanyol are both of interest to United, too.

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Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano has branded one United summer swoop ‘unrealistic’.

Separate reports claim United look set to be offered an ‘amazing’ Bayern Munich star.

He is viewed as a ‘major upgrade’ for a United player who is struggling alongside Onana.

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