Manchester United have been given a boost in their pursuit of Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak, with the La Liga club keeping tabs on Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez.
Jan Oblak, 29, is into the final year of his contract and is yet to show any signal that he wants to sign a new deal with Atletico Madrid. Thus, Atletico are even willing to sell the Slovene goalkeeper in the January transfer window to avoid losing him on a free transfer six months later.
This has reportedly put Manchester United and a number of other clubs on red alert with Oblak regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Having signed from Benfica in 2014, the 29-year-old has made over 350 appearances for Diego Simeone’s side. Given the fact that Oblak is out of contract in 2023, he will be able to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs from January.
Manchester United looking to replace David de Gea?
David de Gea is out of contract at the end of the season and Manchester United are thinking about whether to trigger a one-year option in his deal.
The Spanish international, 31, has been a fantastic servant for Manchester United since signing from Atletico Madrid back in 2011. He has gone on to make 495 appearances for the Red Devils, winning a Premier League title, the FA Cup, the Carabao Cup and the Europa League in that period.
However, De Gea has regressed in recent years and is struggling to fit into a possession-based style of football Erik ten Hag is trying to implement at the club. So, it will not be a surprise if the 31-year-old is moved on next summer as Ten Hag and United look to make a major alteration to their goalkeeping unit.
The Red Devils keeping tabs on Jan Oblak
Should De Gea be allowed to leave, then it appears that Man United already have a potential successor in mind in the form of Jan Oblak.
Oblak has been Atletico Madrid’s No.1 for some time now but could be tempted by a move to Premier League if Man United come calling. The Slovenian international is not only an impressive shot-stopper, but he’s a top distributor and more than capable of playing with his feet—a trait that would make him an appealing prospect to Ten Hag.
Certainly, Oblak is at his peak right now and has his best years ahead of him, and with De Gea’s stock tumbling in recent years, the January window could be the perfect time for the Red Devils to replace him by launching a move for the Atletico Madrid glovesman.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
