Manchester United
Premier League • England
Ten Hag to completely revamp one Man Utd position after showing ‘explicit interest’ in Netherlands ace
Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag
Manchester United could complete a second goalkeeper signing to follow up on the arrival of Andre Onana, as per a report.
Man Utd stepped up their pursuit of Onana after allowing David de Gea to leave on a free transfer. The Red Devils had offered De Gea a new contract but ended up pulling out of such talks.
Man Utd fended off Premier League rivals Tottenham and Chelsea and officially announced Onana as their latest signing on July 20. Inter will receive £47m for the Cameroon international, while the player has penned a five-year contract at Old Trafford.
In his first interview as a Man Utd player, Onana said: “To join Manchester United is an incredible honour and I have worked hard all my life to get to this moment, overcoming many obstacles along the way.
“Walking out at Old Trafford to defend our goal and contribute to the team will be another amazing experience. This is the start of a new journey for me, with new teammates, and new ambitions to fight for.”
He added that he will do everything in his power to create a massive Man Utd legacy, just like his goalkeeping predecessors.
READ MORE: Man Utd embarrassed with star to get phenomenal transfer to Euro giants when leaving Old Trafford
Although, Onana could face competition for his starting place from Dutch shot-stopper Justin Bijlow next term.
On July 1, reports in the Netherlands revealed how the Feyenoord man is also on Ten Hag’s wish list.
Man Utd plot second keeper raid
And 1908.nl have now provided an update on the transfer chase. They reveal that Ten Hag and Man Utd have shown ‘explicit interest’ in picking Bijlow up during the current transfer window.
Man Utd believe the eight-time Netherlands international has the necessary attributes to push Onana hard for the number one spot.
That comes after Bijlow kept 15 clean sheets in 34 games last season, helping Feyenoord win their first Eredivisie title in six years. Bijlow also helped Feyenoord reach the semi-final of the Dutch cup, as well as the last eight of the Europa League.
Should Man Utd follow up on their interest in Bijlow and land him, then he would become Onana’s backup. This would allow Dean Henderson to leave amid interest from Nottingham Forest.
The report reveals that Feyenoord are offering the 25-year-old a new deal in order to reward him for his great performances last term. They also want to prevent him from potentially leaving on a free in 2025, which is when his current terms expire.
However, Feyenoord’s plans could be ruined if Man Utd make an offer for Bijlow. He will not want to turn down the opportunity to join such a big side if they come calling.
Man Utd moving for Bijlow would continue a trend of Ten Hag using his Dutch connections to improve his squad. Last summer, Ten Hag reunited with Lisandro Martinez and Antony from Ajax, while also landing Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord. And in January he bolstered his striker ranks with the loan addition of the Netherlands’ Wout Weghorst.