Manchester United are reportedly plotting a summer move for French goalkeeper Mike Maignan as David de Gea continues to be linked with an exit.
According to a report from TransferMarketWeb.com, Manchester United are preparing for the possible exit of superstar goalkeeper David de Gea this summer and have identified LOSC Lille’s breakout star Mike Maignan as a potential successor for the Spanish international.
De Gea is set to enter the final year of his contract with Manchester United. Despite the club’s efforts to tie him down to a new long-term deal, the Spaniard has been reluctant to put pen to paper, rejecting the Red Devils’ latest contract offer as he continues to hold out for a pay packet worth £350,000-a-week.
Following the latest contract snub, Manchester United are reportedly ready to offload the former Atletico Madrid man this summer. With French champions PSG believed to be willing to meet de Gea’s wage demands, a move could be on the cards, more so after it was confirmed that Gianluigi Buffon will be leaving the Parisian outfit at the end of the month.
With de Gea’s situation unresolved, Manchester United are preparing for life without the 28-year-old and had initially been linked with a summer move for AC Milan sensation Gianluigi Donnarumma. However, as per latest reports, the 20-time English champions have turned their focus towards Lille’s French custodian Mike Maignan.
23-year-old Maignan came through the youth ranks at PSG before joining Lille back in the summer of 2015. Having made sporadic appearances in his first two seasons at the club, the Frenchman became a first-team regular in the 2017-18 campaign and has, till date, turned out 95 times for Lille in all competitions.
The 2018-19 season saw Maignan emerge as one of the best in his position in Ligue 1. Having started all of Lille’s 38 league matches, the Frenchman conceded only 33 goals and kept 15 clean sheets, helping his club to the best defensive record in the division.
Having been named the goalkeeper of the year by the French professional footballers union, Maignan earned his first-ever call-up for the France national team for the upcoming UEFA EURO 2020 qualifiers against Turkey and Andorra, where he could make his debut.
Known for his reflexes and athleticism, Maignan has also earned a reputation as one of the best penalty stoppers in Europe. The Frenchman will be entering the final year of his contract with Lille, which could force the Ligue 1 side to cash in on the player in the summer transfer window.
The 23-year-old is likely to cost Manchester United around €35 million, which would be much lesser than the transfer fee someone like Donnarumma would command. However, any move would hinge on whether de Gea decides to move on from Old Trafford.
