Pranav Nair
Manchester United ready to offer David de Gea to land Jan Oblak
According to The Sun, Manchester United are prepared to offer David de Gea in exchange for Atletico Madrid star Jan Oblak.
The Slovenian international is one of the top goalkeepers in the game and has been a critical part of Diego Simeone’s side. He has so far made 303 appearances for the La Liga champions, keeping an incredible 159 clean sheets in the process. (h/t Transfermarkt)
A talented shot-stopper and a colossus in goal, Oblak is in his prime and a dependable player. His consistency is a great draw and he could instantly walk into almost any team in world football.
De Gea has held the fort at United for a decade now and has been at his best. One of the finest in the game, age has caught up with him and has seen him drop down a level or two.
Picked ahead of Dean Henderson for the Europa League final, he did little wrong on the night. Unfortunately, his performance in the penalty shootout sticks out in what was a tragic end to the season.
It would appear that United are willing to make an offer for Oblak this summer. The 28-year-old would cost around £70million but the Red Devils hope to use De Gea as leverage to sign him for a lower fee.
Having come up through the youth system at Atletico, De Gea would be amenable to returning to the Wanda Metropolitano. A major issue will however be his massive salary.
The Spaniard earns a whopping £375,000-a-week at Old Trafford and is the club’s highest earner. Just how far Atletico would be willing to offer him could very well make the difference.
Given his years of service, it is perhaps tragic that De Gea’s last action in a United jersey was to miss a decisive penalty in a European final. But then, that’s football.
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Signing Oblak could also spark the end for Dean Henderson at United. It would be difficult for the Englishman to get regular game time with a player like Oblak ahead of him.
The 24-year-old does have a number of suitors and it remains to be seen if he too will follow De Gea out of the door.
