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Erik ten Hag is ready to spring a huge transfer surprise by making a move to sign former Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet in January, according to reports in Belgium.
The Dutchman has taken on a difficult job in trying to restore United to their former glories. After seeing the Red Devils slump to a sixth-place finish last season, he was allowed to spend well over £200m on new players over the summer.
And it seems the spending is far from over at Old Trafford, with more new arrivals pencilled in for January. To that end, a report has named two labelled as Ten Hag’s ‘chosen ones’ ahead of the January window.
Clearly, if United are to return to their best then some big decisions will have to be reached.
The Red Devils have spent around £1.3bn assembling their squad so far, with the cash not always spent so wisely. As such, Gary Neville recently cast his verdict on where the side is at and what their ambitions are for the rest of the season.
Ten Hag, though, has already shown during his short spell in charge that he is not afraid to make big decisions. He has been quick to show last season’s top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo who is boss by using him sparingly in the opening weeks of the season.
Few managers in the game will have had the gumption to make such a dramatic call.
However, if reports in Belgian are to be accurate, then an even bigger call is on the agenda in January.
Per Het Laaset Nieuws, Ten Hag is giving serious thoughts to a move for Mignolet in January.
Simon Mignolet linked with Man Utd move
The 34-year-old spent six seasons with Liverpool and was part of their squad that won the Champions League in 2019.
He made a total of 204 appearances for the Reds, though his time was very much up and down. Indeed, he lost his place in closing months of 2018, with Loris Karius getting the nod for the Champions League final.
And by the time the final came around 12 months later, Alisson was already firmly established as Liverpool’s No 1.
As such, it was no surprise when he was allowed to return to his native Belgium, signing in a £6m deal with Club Brugges.
However, it is back in his homeland that Mignolet has returned to his absolute best.
Indeed, in 17 appearances for the Blauw-Zwart this season, Mignolet has kept an impressive 10 clean sheets.
His side are also causing big waves in the Champions League with Brugges top of Group B on 10 points. Indeed, they started the campaign as fourth favourites, having been paired with Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and Porto.
But three wins and a draw – the last being a 0-0 stalemate at the Wanda Metropolitano – have proved not just Brugges’ class but also Mignolet’s.
Indeed, he made some brillint saves to keep Atletico at bay and virtually guarantee their place in the knockout stages.
Mignolet tipped to come in with David De Gea departing
Now Ten Hag is being tipped to bring in Mignolet as his new No 1.
With David De Gea nearing the end of his contract, United have a big decision to make on the long-serving star. As United’s second highest earner on a whopping £350,000 a week, however, there are growing reports that United could allow him to depart.
United do hold the option of extending his deal by a further season. However, there are doubts his style of goalkeeping is completely suitable to the tactics Ten Hag likes to operate. As a result, De Gea has found himself the subject of plenty of speculation.
Indeed, United have been linked with a move for a Premier League regular as a replacement.
The move for Mignolet, though, would certainly raise eyebrows. While a decent shot-stopper, his confidence often suffered a dip while at Anfield. As such, there remains questions if his character is strong enough for Manchester United.
That said, he isn’t too bad with the ball at his feet and could be seen as a potential option.
Realistically, though, Mignolet would surely only come to United to be as a No 2. The Red Devils signed Martin Dubravka on a season’s loan from Newcastle over the summer. As such, it may be that they see the Belgian as an alternative bench option.
Indeed, it would come as no shock were United to have two new keepers in their ranks next season. To that end, Simon Mignolet is likely to only be seen as a No 2 at best.