UCL club close to signing Man Utd star, as Fabrizio Romano confirms Ten Hag replacement plan
A Champions League side are ‘advancing in negotiations’ with a Man Utd player, and Fabrizio Romano has confirmed the Red Devils will sign a replacement.
Man Utd’s winter window threw up three surprise signings. Jack Butland arrived on a six-month loan from Crystal Palace to fill the void left by Martin Dubravka who was recalled early from his own loan spell by Newcastle.
Marcel Sabitzer and Wout Weghorst also joined on short-term loans, though the Daily Mail recently confirmed neither will be offered the chance to join Man Utd outright.
Butland, meanwhile, will actually become a free agent once his loan spell at Old Trafford concludes on June 30. Crystal Palace are his parent club, though his contract with the Eagles expires this summer.
With neither Man Utd or Palace willing to bring Butland on board, Scottish giant Rangers have sensed an opportunity to strike.
Michael Beale’s side will enter next year’s Champions League in the third qualifying round. Rangers have already wrapped up pre-agreements with impending free agents Dujon Sterling (Chelsea) and Kieran Dowell (Norwich City).
Now, according to Fabrizio Romano, the pair could soon be joined by nine-cap England international, Jack Butland.
The transfer guru tweeted Rangers are “advancing in negotiations” over signing Butland as a free agent.
A deal for the 30-year-old is “getting closer”, with the Daily Mail adding Butland has ‘compromised’ on his high salary demands that were initially an obstacle to the move.
As such, an agreement over personal terms will soon be struck, with Butland now on course to line up at Ibrox next season.
Man Utd will sign Butland replacement
Once Butland departs, Man Utd’s frontline goalkeeping options will be David de Gea, Dean Henderson and Tom Heaton.
However, De Gea and Heaton can conceivably become free agents on June 30. United are attempting to tie De Gea down to fresh terms on a greatly reduced basic salary, while there’s an option for an extra 12 months in Heaton’s deal.
Henderson, meanwhile, is wanted back at Nottingham Forest where he spent the season on loan. Per Football Insider, Henderson will push to leave if and when De Gea signs a new contract.
With uncertainty pervading United’s goalkeeping ranks, Fabrizio Romano confirmed Man Utd will sign a new back-up goalkeeper to take Butland’s spot. Indeed, doing so was labelled “part of their summer plans”.
No names were cited, though one high class player who is available and frequently linked is David Raya of Brentford.
The 27-year-old would push De Gea for starts and could be viewed as his fellow Spaniard’s long-term successor.
Brentford will cash in on Raya if bids of around £40m are tabled this summer. Tottenham too are eyeing Raya, though the Mail claimed they value Raya who only has a year left on his current contract at just £20m.
Brentford have already signed Raya’s replacement in the form of Freiburg’s Mark Flekken.
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