Ex-Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster thinks his former club should consider a raid on Newcastle to sign Nick Pope.
The Red Devils have seemingly beaten the Magpies in the race for Benjamin Sesko, but Foster says that Pope could be on the market, and he would be an excellent replacement for Andre Onana:
“Manchester United are absolutely crying out for a goalkeeper. You’d do so much worse than getting Nick Pope. I think it would be a fantastic fit, I really do. If you’re looking to get it to the forward areas as quickly as possible, Nick Pope’s your boy and he’ll stop goals.”
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“Onana’s had this big injury at the start of pre-season and he’s looking like he’ll only get that fit, maybe just for the start of the season. But you don’t want that from your goalkeeper. You want him to have had four or five pre-season games and weeks and weeks of training.”
“There were also a lot of questions raised at the end of last season, thinking that he’s probably not going to be the first-choice goalkeeper. Nick Pope will be looking at this thinking, ‘Hmm’.”
Ramsdale’s arrival does put Pope’s position under threat
Newcastle have recently snapped up former Arsenal shot-stopper on loan from Southampton. There have been suggestions that Pope will start the season in goal for Newcastle but the addition of a new keeper does pose questions about his future.
Pope has had his issues with injury, and combined with criticism about his kicking, it is not a surprise that Magpies boss Eddie Howe has decided to bring in some competition. It is up for debate, though, whether Man United would actually target Pope as their new no.1, when you factor in his flaws.
Man United are targeting other keepers
Pope has not even been mentioned as a potential option to strengthen in goal by journalists. The two main candidates are thought to be PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma and Royal Antwerp’s Senne Lammens.
Read our exclusive interview with Rene Meulensteen, as he discusses why Donnarumma would be an excellent fit for the Red Devils. He also talks about Sesko and Alejandro Garnacho.