Manchester United are eyeing a move for a Championship player in the summer with Ruben Amorim keen to add strength in numbers to his team, according to a new report.
Neville slams Onana as United hold Arsenal to 1-1 draw
United extended their unbeaten run in the top flight to three games on Sunday as they held Arsenal to a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford, edging themselves further away from the Premier League's bottom three and all but ending their rivals' title hopes.
Amorim's side took the lead on the day through a superb Bruno Fernandes free-kick on the stroke of half-time, and they had chances to extend their lead in the second period, but were punished for their wastefulness in the 74th minute when Declan Rice stroked home the equaliser from the edge of box.
Bruno-Fernandes
Nevertheless, the result was a huge scalp for United, who have been desperately struggling this season, and Amorim was full of praise for his side afterwards.
One man who couldn't escape critcism, however, was goalkeeper Andre Onana, who was slammed by former United defender Gary Neville for a save he made late on, which saw him parry the ball straight into the path of Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli to present the Brazilian with a clear chance at goal, which luckily, he spurned.
“Gabriel Martinelli hangs his head but he will be happy the offside flag went up. But that was really poor goalkeeping from Andre Onana,” said Neville on Sky Sports.
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United eyeing move for Blackburn goalkeeper Aynsley Pears
This isn't the first time Onana has been criticised this season, with the former Ajax and Inter Milan having faced the wrath of both the media and the United fans on a number of occasions following several mishaps between the sticks.
Currently, there is only Turkey international Altay Bayindir to provide him with competition for the number one jersey, but according to journalist Alan Nixon, Amorim is keen on bringing in more competition for him in the summer in the form of Blackburn shot stopper Aynsley Pears.
According to Nixon, United want “a home grown keeper to join their squad” for 2025/26, and Pears is currently on their shortlist. The Red Devils have already sent former goalkeeper and specialist scout Tony Coton to watch Pears in action, as they hope to identify a “seasoned professional” who can “compete for the number one slot” at Old Trafford.
Pears, whose father, Stephen Pears, played for United between 1979 and 1985, has started all but one of Blackburn's 36 Championship games this season, keeping 13 clean sheets.
For United fans hoping that Pears will be less error-prone than Onana if he completes a move to Old Trafford, however, they may want to think again. Back in April of last year, the Englishman scored a quite comical own goal in a 3-1 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday, slicing a clearance into the back of his own net.