Manchester United plot shock move to bring back David de Gea on a free transfer - Reports
Manchester United are reportedly weighing up bringing David de Gea back to the club just months after he departed Old Trafford.
The Sun reports that the Red Devils are concerned about the amount of game time Andre Onana could miss in the new year. The United goalkeeper made a U-turn over his decision to retire from international duty.
Onana has made himself available for Cameroon who are set to participate in the African Cup of Nations. The competition takes place from January 13 to February 11, meaning he could miss eight of Erik ten Hag's side's games.
Thus, Manchester United are studying whether to offer De Gea a quick return following his exit this past summer. The Spanish shot-stopper ended a 12-year stay with the Premier League giants as his contract expired.
However, the 32-year-old has yet to find a new club since leaving the Red Devils. He was a massive hit during his time at Old Trafford, keeping 190 clean sheets in 545 games across competitions.
Ten Hag signed Onana, 27, as his replacement, but the former Inter Milan goalkeeper hasn't set the world alight thus far. He's made several costly errors, keeping four clean sheets in 13 games across competitions.
It's claimed that De Gea could accept a short-term deal with Manchester United. Ten Hag currently has Turkish summer signing Altay Bayindir and English veteran shot-stopper Tom Heaton as his options should Onana head to AFCON.
Dwight Yorke thinks Manchester United made a costly risk replacing David de Gea with Andre Onana
Dwight Yorke has raised concerns with Onana's playing style since coming in as De Gea's replacement. The Red Devils icon said he warned fans that they should be careful wishing for the Spaniard to depart (via GOAL):
"They always say the grass is never greener on the other side. I told everybody that they should be careful what they wish for! Managers are there to make tough decisions and they have their own ideas on who they select in their team."
Onana has looked nervy at the start of his Manchester United career but he was signed due to his ball-playing abilities. Yorke insists that it's a risky way of playing especially in the Premier League:
"Erik ten Hag made the decision to get rid of De Gea and bring in Onana. If you study Onana, and I'm sure Ten Hag did, you'll see there's a massive risk with the way he plays - especially in the English game."
Onana did become an Old Trafford hero on Tuesday (October 24) night. The 2023 Ballon d'Or nominee saved a last-gasp penalty in a 1-0 win against Copenhagen in the UEFA Champions League.
However, the jury is still out on whether he's the right replacement for De Gea. He joined United from Inter in the summer for £47.5 million.