Michael Owen believes Manchester United ought to be moving heaven and earth to secure Gianluigi Donnarumma's signature. The Italian shot-stopper has excelled during his four-year spell with Paris Saint-Germain, though it seems his time in the French capital is nearing its end.
Donnarumma has reached the final 12 months of his deal at the Parc des Princes and is seeking fresh pastures after Les Parisiens brought in Lucas Chevalier. Ruben Amorim has already made some big signings in his first summer transfer market with the Red Devils, securing talents such as Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko. However, Owen believes they ought to be considering strengthening the team between the sticks, particularly given Donnarumma's availability.
Speaking to Mirror Football via 247Bet, Owen said: "Well, when it all came out about Donnarumma leaving Paris Saint-Germain, I thought, 'Oh my word, whoever gets him are going to be a lucky team.' I mean, he is unbelievable.
"He's literally one of, if not the best goalkeeper in the world. I mean, he would be the obvious one, but whether they can get him or not is another matter."
Currently, United have resorted to using Altay Bayindir as their goalkeeper due to Andre Onana's recovery from injury and lack of match fitness. However, many supporters may argue that a permanent replacement for Onana is necessary if the club wishes to improve on their disappointing 15th-place finish in the Premier League last season.
Since his £47.2million move from Inter Milan to Old Trafford two years ago, the Cameroonian has not lived up to expectations, having been criticised for several high-profile errors. While Donnarumma could be a feasible option to replace Onana, especially with PSG reportedly asking for only £40m for the 26-year-old, United face tough competition to secure a deal.
Manchester City are potentially losing Ederson to Galatasaray, and despite re-signing James Trafford from Burnley for £27m earlier this summer, the Cityzens are interested in bringing Donnarumma to the Etihad Stadium before the transfer deadline. Talks have reportedly already begun with the European champions.
For the latest breaking stories and headlines, sign up to our Daily Express MUFC newsletter, or join our WhatsApp community here.
However, their reluctance to meet PSG's asking price could provide an opportunity for their neighbours to swoop in for the goalkeeper.
Boasting four Ligue 1 crowns, five domestic trophies and a Champions League during his stint in the French capital, Donnarumma would almost certainly slot straight into the first XI under either Pep Guardiola or Amorim. He also shipped just 25 goals last term.
Owen has also pinpointed additional departments where United would be prudent to concentrate their efforts if they harbour any genuine ambitions of clawing their way back to the top end of the Premier League table.
He added: "Well, I mean, there are areas where they could strengthen. If they want to go and be a top team again and challenge for the league, then there's loads of areas.
"But just to get back into that sort of European places, then they've probably got a strong enough squad. The goalkeeper looks quite an obvious one that they might need to change at some point.
"They've not done much surgery to their team apart from right up at the top of the field. So, you know, they've got one or two ageing players in midfield that are going to need changing in time.
"They've got a lot of defenders at the moment, whether they've got many great ones is a question mark. But I think over time they're going to need to change a fair few players, but just to get them back up in fifth, sixth place type of thing this season, I think they've got more than enough to do that."