Andre Onana is currently Ruben Amorim’s first-choice goalkeeper for the Premier League - but could a swap deal change that?
In a summer where seemingly every position could do with an upgrade at Manchester United, goalkeeper has been pushed down the priority list somewhat - but the thought of entering the 2025/26 Premier League with Andre Onana still in goal should be enough to give Red Devils fans nightmares.
However, a contract rebel at a fellow fallen European giant could be the answer to Ruben Amorim’s prayers, as AC Milan and France number one Mike Maignan is available for a discount with only a year left on his deal at the San Siro before he’s prepared to walk for free.
Inconceivably, after spending a billion pounds on players in just two years under Todd Boehly, Chelsea decided to draw the line at coughing up £21 million to replace the most error-prone goalkeeper in the Premier League last season. But their loss should be Manchester United’s gain and they could kill two birds with one stone by sending Alejandro Garnacho to Milan in a swap plus cash deal.
Maignan instantly upgrades Manchester United
One week in April served as a cruel microcosm of Red Devils’ season, beginning with Nemanja Matic showing he holds Onana in about as much contempt as he has for victims of verbal and physical homophobic abuse, calling the Cameroonian "one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United's history”.
Unfortunately, Onana responded by dropping probably his worst disasterclass in a highly competitive shortlist with a bizarre mistake for Lyon’s first goal and a costly fumble 31 seconds away from leaving France ahead in the tie forcing Amorim to drop him.
However, like Amorim attempting to replace Marcus Rashford with Manchester United’s 63-year-old goalkeeping coach, it soon became clear that the alternative was just as problematic when Altay Bayindir shipped four goals against Newcastle that weekend with Onana reinstated for the return leg against Lyon. Embarrassing and calamitous but somehow unavoidable.
Yet while Manchester United have shown an unerring ability to make mincemeat of even the biggest and brightest reputations in the last 12 years, Maignan is the closest thing to a safe bet in goal that’s on the market this summer. Aged 29, Magic Mike isn’t exactly a spring chicken but right now having consistency between the sticks between 2030 and 2035 should be about as far down Manchester United’s priority list as it’s possible to get.
Edwin van der Sar only arrived at Old Trafford aged 35 after all and he went on to win everything under Sir Alex Ferguson, and Maignan could have a similar effect at shoring up Manchester United even if he’ll be lucky to enjoy such a trophy-laden career.
Maignan had the joint-best save percentage of the entire tournament at Euro 2024 though his general shot-stopping ability isn’t too standout - the stats show he doesn’t stop more goals than he’d be expected to after players open fire.
Rather, his super-power is cutting out the danger before it even materialises. Maignan is a master at identifying a threat and getting out to shut it down, averaging almost two defensive actions outside the penalty area per game (at 1.86 he would’ve been third in the Premier League last season) and the highest average distance of defensive action from goal in Serie A.
He’s equally solid under a high ball, stopping 11% of crosses in 2023/24 that put him top of Serie A at dealing with aerial bombardments - and just as importantly, his pass accuracy was above 80% in both Serie A and the Champions League last season per FootyStats with Maignan capable getting the ball to a teammate anywhere in his own half so he’d be a perfect fit for Amorim’s philosophy.
Garnacho is ready-made Leao replacement
AC Milan are facing a rebuild this summer having missed out on any European football, lost arguably their best player to Manchester City in the form of Tijjani Reijnders and with the very real possibility of losing their other true superstar, Rafael Leao.
The latter two have shown how players can flourish after falling out of favour in the Premier League, as well as an even more relevant and recent example in Scott McTominay, and Garnacho would be allowed more freedom to wreak havoc from the centre of the pitch at the San Siro.
He had the second-most progressive carries both anywhere on the pitch and in the final third in the 2023/24 Premier League, a game-breaking ability that would transition extremely well in the occasionally more pedestrian Serie A. And with Amorim telling Garnacho that “you better pray that you can find a club to sign you” it’s safe to say the 20-year-old is unlikely to be welcomed back to Carrington in August as the Red Devils have slapped a £70m price tag on the academy product.
Given their financial limitations under Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Manchester United are desperate to avoid paying the remainder of Garnacho’s contract (valued at around £10.4m) and obviously cash in on a transfer fee that only looks set to depreciate over those remaining four years.
So sending him to the San Siro for around £50m plus Maignan would both revitalise the player’s career and Milan’s forward line, and free up money from an unwanted asset while solving a major problem in goal - a win for all parties involved.
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