Manchester United have made an approach to sign former goalkeeper John O’Shea as a replacement for David De Gea whose contract expired last week.
42-year-old O’Shea holds a 100% clean sheet record at United and is available on a free transfer having retired from professional football over 4-years ago.
MARSEILLE, FRANCE – FEBRUARY 23: John O’Shea of Manchester United looks on as a laser light appears from the crowd during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match between Marseille and Manchester United at the Stade Velodrome on February 23, 2011 in Marseille, France. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Erik Ten Hag has been told he must choose between spending the remainder of his transfer budget on a new goalkeeper or a striker, as the club’s protracted takeover rumbles on.
Faced with the prospect of plucking O’Shea from middle-aged obscurity or starting another season with Anthony Martial as the club’s No.9, the Dutchman swam to Waterford to talk to the ex-United utility man.
‘John has all the attributes needed to be a Manchester United goalkeeper’, Ten Hag told Paddy Power News.
‘But what impresses me most about John is that he’s not David De Gea’.
United CEO Richard Arnold was delighted the club had finally landed O’Shea having been tracking him since last night.
It’s understood United fought off stiff competition from a golfing trip with the lads to land the Irishman.
‘John’s name appeared high on a list of names written on a beer mat which was handed to me in the pub last night’.
‘He ticks all the boxes, in that, he cost no money and he isn’t David De Gea’.
Arnold also praised O’Shea’s versatility which could help the team this season.
‘John can also operate in a number of other positions which is great because we need a striker too’.
The move spells bad news for Inter Milan goalkeeper André Onana who was hoping to be strung along by United all summer before opting not to buy him.
- WELCOME TO PP NEWS: NEW TO US? CLICK HERE FOR OUR £/€20 SIGN-UP OFFER
Cameroonian international Onana told Paddy Power News:
‘It’s disappointing that I will no longer be tagged in thousands of tweets from United fans purporting to have insider information on the club’s transfer dealings’.
‘I was particularly looking forward to the tweet about me being spotted in the Trafford Centre on deadline day. Gutted’.
*Paddy Power’s football coverage is 100% fake news. Honest.
Read More
- New De Gea Man United contract ‘got jammed in dodgy fax machine’
- Arsenal fan with Declan Rice tattoo to sue club if transfer collapses
- Lampard ties himself to Chelsea goalpost in protest at Mount sale
- Jack Grealish said ‘hang it in the Louvre’… so we did
- Breaking: Chelsea post ENTIRE SQUAD on Saudi Buy & Sell page
THE PADDY POWER GUIDE TO SAFER GAMBLING – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
