KEY POINTS

  • David de Gea has entered the final year of his contract with Man Utd
  • Even Jan Oblak's deal with Atletico will expire next summer
  • Oblak has made just five appearances so far this season

Manchester United have reportedly identified goalkeeper David de Gea's replacement for next summer.

The club is preparing to make a move for Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak at the end of the 2022-23 season, reported French outlet Jeunes Footeux. In order to bring Oblak to Old Trafford, the Red Devils could double his salary to $18 million per season, which would be equivalent to $345,000 a week.

De Gea has entered the final year of his contract with Manchester United. Even though the Red Devils have signed Martin Dubravka from Newcastle on a season-long loan, De Gea remains their first-choice goalkeeper. But there are speculations over the Spanish player's future at Old Trafford.

Dubravka is yet to make his Manchester United debut but that could change in Red Devils' Europa League fixture against Moldovan club Sheriff Tiraspol on Thursday evening.

Manchester United may activate the 12-month extension on De Gea's contract, which could take the Spaniard into 2024. But there have been questions raised over his suitability in Erik ten Hag's system, with the Dutch boss aiming to rebuild the team from the scratch.

De Gea's shot-stopping ability is still at an elite level, but in terms of commanding his box and playing out from the back, the Spaniard is showing signs of flaws, especially with Ten Hag's new possession-based system.

David de Gea
David de Gea of Manchester United looks on during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United at Molineux on August 29, 2021 in Wolverhampton, England. Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images

Even Oblak's current deal with Atletico Madrid is due to expire next summer. However, the Slovenian goalkeeper has agreed to sign an extension until 2025. If the Wanda Metropolitano side does agree to sell the goalkeeper, Manchester United could face competition from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), according to Sports Mole.

PSG already have Italian star goalkeeper Gigi Donnarumma, who has kept four clean sheets in Ligue 1 so far this season. Despite this, the Parc des Princes side is preparing to battle against Manchester United for Oblak.

In the 2022-23 season, Oblak has made only five appearances in all competitions for Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid. Overall, he has played 359 games for the La Liga side since his arrival in 2014.

Oblak missed Atletico's last two matches against Celta Vigo and Bayer Leverkusen due to injury. Ivo Grbic replaced him between the sticks.