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Manchester United could be about to replace two club legends under Erik ten Hag
Manchester United could back Erik ten Hag when the transfer window reopens in January.
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Manchester United are reportedly eyeing a deal for Yann Sommer with David De Gea’s long-term future up in the air. The Spain international has been at Old Trafford ever since arriving from Atletico Madrid back in the summer transfer window of 2011, becoming a club legend in the years since. Should he leave, he’ll become the second hero to leave after Cristiano Ronaldo - who was shown the door at the end of last month following his controversial interview with Piers Morgan.
Manchester United have seen De Gea etch his name into Old Trafford folklore over the past 11 years.
He helped the club win the Premier League title back in 2013, when Sir Alex Ferguson ruled the roost, while he’s also helped the Red Devils claim the Europa League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup titles in the years since.
De Gea’s contract is due to expire at the end of the season and he’s repeatedly stressed he’d love to stay in Manchester, having come to know the city as his home.
According to Bild, though, the 32-year-old is ‘unlikely’ to have his contract extended at the end of the campaign.
And it’s stated that United are eyeing a deal for Sommer, who has impressed for Switzerland at the World Cup so far ahead of their showdown with Portugal on Tuesday night.
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The Borussia Monchengladbach star was linked with a move to the Premier League back in the summer, but ended up staying with the Bundesliga side instead.
Signing a veteran like Sommer would evoke memories of when United brought in Edwin van der Sar back in 2005.
Van der Sar was 34 at the time, just a year older than Sommer, and helped the Red Devils win four Premier League titles as well as the Champions League during his spell at the club.
If United do cut De Gea loose, he’ll become the second legend to leave Old Trafford since the appointment of Ten Hag.
They’ve already lost Ronaldo, whose contract was ‘mutually terminated’ after he gave a sensational interview where he took aim at many people within the club.
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The Portugal international, who is yet to score from open play at the World Cup so far, accused Ten Hag of a ‘lack of respect’ having struggled for game time during the first half of the season.
Ronaldo also accused the Glazers of not caring about the club, while he moaned the Red Devils had made ‘zero progress’ in the years since Ferguson’s retirement.
United are, currently, pondering over how to replace Ronaldo - who is being linked with a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia now he is a free agent.
And several players have emerged as targets.
United have long admired Joao Felix, who may leave Atletico Madrid having grown disillusioned with life under Diego Simeone.
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The Red Devils previously eyed a deal for the Portugal forward in 2019, when he was strutting his stuff at Benfica, but they ended up missing out in the end.
United are being strongly linked with Cody Gakpo, who has bagged three goals for the Netherlands at the World Cup so far.
And they’re also being credited with an interest in AC Milan attacker Rafael Leao, who fired the Serie A giants to Scudetto glory last season.
Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson, meanwhile, recently expressed a belief that United should sign Gakpo to fill the void left behind by Ronaldo’s departure.
“Gakpo would be very good for the Premier League and I’m certain he wouldn’t need that much time to adapt to the Premier League,” he said.
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"The thing is that many clubs will have been watching him thirty or forty times.
“Ronaldo has gone now and Manchester United need an out-and-out number nine and Harry Kane seems the perfect fit.
“Kane could be impossible but they have to get something similar. Right now I don’t think Gakpo is the profile they need.”
Ronaldo and De Gea are both legends at United.
They received awards in November before a goalless draw with Newcastle, with Ferguson meeting the pair on the pitch.