Manchester United were rebuffed in their deadline day attempt to sign Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.
A recent report from Manchester Evening News has claimed that Martin Dubravka was a January target for Manchester United, who were willing to do a straight swap deal between him and Dean Henderson.
Newcastle United were open to the move, but Dubravka himself rejected the advances of Manchester United on deadline day. The Slovak had no intention to become a second-choice goalkeeper to David de Gea and was more than happy with his current role at St. James’ Park.
Formerly of Sparta Prague, Dubravka has been a part of the Newcastle setup since January 2018. The goalkeeper had initially joined the club on loan, but his impressive performances during the second half of the 2017/18 campaign convinced the Magpies to make his move permanent for a fee of just €4 million.
Since then, Dubravka has made a total of 114 competitive appearances for Newcastle United. His consistent performances over the years may have played a key role in convincing Manchester United to make a move on deadline day.
The Red Devils are in the market for a new goalkeeper amid the uncertain future of Dean Henderson. The English goalkeeper has failed to oust David de Gea as the first-choice option for Manchester United this term, having made only three competitive appearances so far. His struggles have led to speculation linking him away from Old Trafford.
Manchester United are yet to make a definitive decision on the future of Henderson. They had notably blocked the goalkeeper’s move to Watford last month, which suggests Ralf Rangnick won’t offload Henderson before signing a reliable replacement.
However, with Dubravka knocking back their advances, the Red Devils may have to set their sights on other alternatives. They were reportedly offered the chance to sign David Ospina last month, and it will be interesting to see if the club do make a move in the summer, especially with the Napoli custodian set to be available for free.
As for Newcastle, they are expected to dip into the market for a new goalkeeper in the summer. While Dubravka remains the first-choice option, the Slovak is already 33, meaning the Magpies are in need of a younger alternative that can not only provide competition, but also take up the mantle of becoming the club’s future number one.