Manchester United are in need of someone to challenge David de Gea, and reports in recent days suggest that a new goalkeeper, in the short term at least, will be Newcastle United’s Martin Dúbravka.
Surplus to requirements at St. James’ Park after Nick Pope’s arrival, Dúbravka is available and it looks as though his next destination will be Manchester United.
United submitted an official proposal to Newcastle of a one year loan with a five million pound option to buy at the end of the season.
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Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that the Reds have reached a full agreement with Newcastle for the loan transfer and that the goalkeeper will travel for a medical on Tuesday.
Dúbravka would be the club’s sixth summer signing following Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen, Lisandro Martínez, Casemiro, and the pending signing of Antony.
It feels very much like a stopgap signing by the club, who will look for a long-term replacement for David de Gea next summer.
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A goalkeeper to challenge the Spaniard has been on the agenda for a while now, with Erik ten Hag quickly realising that De Gea is not suited to his style and probably won’t change his ways.
It is unlikely that Dean Henderson will return to Manchester, with his recent comments showcasing his frustrations at how his career has been handled by the club so far.
Dúbravka is far from perfect, how many issues he actually fixes is unclear, but he is a solid goalkeeper who has performed well in the past for the Magpies.
One of the most iconic of these performances came on his debut, against the very club who he is about to join.
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It was a frustrating afternoon for José Mourinho’s Manchester United side, who dominated possession 65%-35% and took 13 shots. Twelve of those were taken inside the box, and three were big chances.
Newcastle’s defensive performance that game was excellent, and their goalkeeper was key to this. In his very first game, against a team second in the league, Dúbravka excelled.
He made three saves, all of which were from inside the box. He also made two high claims and completed one punch when facing crosses, and even had a successful run out.
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His seven completed long balls helped Rafael Benítez’s Newcastle side escape the pressure that United had them under.
In the ultimate trial by fire, Martin Dúbravka was the coolest man in the place as Newcastle ran out unexpected 1-0 winners.
Now 33 years old, Dúbravka still has something to offer United. De Gea is not working for Ten Hag, and whilst the Slovak isn’t anything special, a change could do United a lot of good.
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This signing looks like a fairly low risk one, and whilst not having massive upside there is potential for some improvement.
Should Dúbravka complete the transfer, he could be available against Arsenal on Sunday.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Manchester United, Transfers, Manchester United Transfer News & Rumours, Newcastle United, Premier League, Football, David De Gea