After scooping Sir Matt Busby’s Player of the Year prize at Manchester United for the last two seasons in a row, it is deeply upsetting for Red Devils fans that they look like parting with their star keeper David De Gea this summer.
As the world has become accustomed to in the modern era, when Real Madrid decide to publicly pursue a player, they usually get their way and unfortunately for United and Louis van Gaal, David De Gea is their number one target this summer.
With a move back to De Gea’s home city looking like a formality, van Gaal will have a big decision to make regarding just who will resume the position as his first choice stopper between the sticks next season.
If you believe what you read in the press, the likes of the Daily Star reported this past week that United are poised to set their sights on landing Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris as a like-for-like replacement for their Spanish international keeper.
Most Red Devils fans in the bar agree that their pain at losing De Gea would be immediately lessened somewhat via the signing of French international Lloris who for the past couple of seasons now has remained in the world class bracket despite Spurs’ struggles at getting into the Champions League.
While United have previously eventually managed to prise the likes of Michael Carrick and Dimitar Berbatov away from White Hart Lane, Tottenham won’t want to part with Lloris so easily and if Daniel Levy decides to dig his heels this summer, van Gaal will have to go back to the drawing board.
This is why we’ve come up with a list of five Lloris alternatives that United may have to consider this summer.
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Click on the image below to reveal the 5 Lloris alternatives for Tottenham to consider this summer.
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Iker Casillas
It hasn’t been so readily reported but if David De Gea completes his Real Madrid switch as expected, why not demand Iker Casillas in return?
Vicente del Bosque has already been accelerating De Gea to the top of his goalkeeping pecking order for Spain and although Casillas spent time on the bench under Jose Mourinho while Diego Lopez was the preferred number one, you can’t see him being happy at being back on the bench behind De Gea for both club and country.
Casillas has been linked with the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham so far this summer and although he is probably past his best days, he is still a top quality goalkeeper who continues to perform at the highest level.
If Casillas did end up at Old Trafford, Victor Valdes would again be bemoaning his luck in being behind another of his Spanish compatriots having failed to get ahead of David De Gea until he got injured at the tail end of 2014/15.
Not only that but Casillas kept Valdes out of the Spanish national squad as first choice for years on end to boot!
Asmir Begovic
One of the best goalkeepers who is potentially available this summer is Stoke City’s Bosnian international stopper Asmir Begovic.
Thus far, the former Portsmouth man has resisted all offers of a contract extension at the Britannia Stadium and with Mark Hughes seemingly running out of patience having gave Jack Butland some game time at the end of the campaign, Begovic could be on the move this summer.
Chelsea have also been linked with him given the decision to let Petr Cech leave this summer but Manchester United fans are piping up and claiming he could be a great addition to their squad and as a number one to boot!
If Begovic did arrive at Chelsea, he’d undoubtedly be the number one but if he chose to join long-term suitors United, he’d most definitely be the number one over Victor Valdes.
A goalkeeping merry-go-round is undoubtedly set to take place this summer and this story could run and run as the transfer window rumbles on.
Petr Cech
All of the speculation points towards Petr Cech joining Arsenal over the coming month or so but surely transfer windows wouldn’t be transfer windows without last ditch bids being made?
The fact of the matter is that you should never rule out Arsenal’s infamous abilities to balls up a seemingly nailed-on transfer – just look at Gonzalo Higuain back in 2013!
At present, the press are claiming that Chelsea want a homegrown Arsenal player such as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in part-exchange for the services of Cech and if there is any hint of truth in this, the Cech deal could indeed hit a stumbling block.
At the same time, this angle could’ve been reported to simply spice up the story as it’s completed behind the scenes but all of that said, United fans will be hoping Arsenal find a way to mess this one up too.
Cech has claimed himself that he is settled in London and would rather stay there than uprooting to the likes of Manchester United but this is football and stranger things have happened before.
Samir Handanovic
There has been a lot of hype surrounding Inter Milan’s Samir Handanovic in recent seasons and this time last week, England fans got to see him in action as the Three Lions prevailed 3-2 over their Slovenian hosts.
Despite conceding three goals, all of England’s strikes were of the highest calibre with Handanovic proving hard to beat otherwise.
Handanovic is undoubtedly a class goalkeeper and has inevitable been linked with a United switch ever since the David De Gea to Real Madrid news surfaced.
However, a few weeks ago, The Express reported claims from Handanovic’s agent who categorically ruled out a Manchester United switch for his client this summer.
He said: “Nothing is true with regard to the Red Devils. I have never talked to them.
“I can rule out then, Samir going to Old Trafford, though of course the transfer market is unpredictable.”
In transfer windows, you never really know who to believe and this tact could change around so easily.
If there was indeed any negotiation to sign Handanovic this summer as a De Gea replacement, United could and should be interested.
Stick with Victor Valdes!
Somebody who is of course already at the club and somebody who could potentially do the job as first choice for the entirety of 2015/16.
Victor Valdes joined Manchester United midway through last season after a long injury lay-off and it is mainly due to this reason that most Red Devils fans would rather see Louis van Gaal replace David De Gea rather than promoting the current second choice.
Now 33-years-of-age, Valdes is a veteran of the game but not by goalkeeping standards with keepers able to keep on going until the age of 40.
However, after receiving opportunities against Arsenal and Hull City at the end of 2014/15 following an injury to De Gea, Valdes looked a little shaky somewhat by United’s lofty standards.
What United fans can’t forget is that Valdes was a top quality goalkeeper in his time with Barcelona winning all there is to win in the domestic game and perhaps he’s being a little undervalued at present.
If van Gaal truly believes in him, there might not be any reason to swoop for a De Gea replacement this summer with Anders Lindegaard still knocking around the club as current third choice.
