Manchester United ready to trigger release clause to make €10m signing
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag before the match against Sevilla REUTERS/Carl Recine.
Manchester United booked their place in the final of the FA Cup, beating Brighton 7-6 on penalties.
Both Robert Sánchez and David de Gea failed to keep attempts from 12 yards out of their net and conceded six penalties each before Solly March blazed his penalty over the crossbar. In the Europa League final between United and Villarreal in 2021, all 20 outfield players scored from the spot, and it took a miss from De Gea to get to the end of the proceedings.
During the penalties on Sunday, Casemiro was seen urging his teammate to be more intimidating and animated between the sticks.
De Gea’s future is in doubt at Manchester United
The defeat at Sevilla highlighted the United No 1’s lack of strength in possession, while the win over Brighton underlined he cannot be relied upon in the tense moment after 120 minutes of play.
De Gea’s performances in the recent days have led to plenty of question marks over his future. According to the Mirror, Erik ten Hag wants a goalkeeper capable of helping his side during the build-up. The former Ajax coach is aware of how Manchester City and Liverpool were transformed by the signings of modern goalkeepers.
It’s now being suggested that United already have a goalkeeper on their radar ahead of the summer transfer window. As per Jutarnji (via SportWitness), the Premier League giants ‘want to bring’ Dominik Livakovic.
The Dinamo Zagreb goalkeeper was one of Croatia’s stand-out players during the 2022 World Cup. The 28-year-old denied Real Madrid forward Rodrygo from the penalty spot in his side’s 4-2 win on penalties in the quarter-final stage.
Livakovic has a release clause worth €10m in his contract, and it’s understood Manchester United are ‘ready to pay’ it. It’s further added that despite all seeming ‘really sensational’, it’s thought that the story has solid foundations and it’s ‘quite possible’ the goalkeeper’s transfer will take place. La Liga duo Villarreal and Real Sociedad are also interested.
