Man Utd boss Jose Mourinho is reportedly set to prioritise Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak in the event that David de Gea joins Real Madrid this summer.
De Gea came close to a move to the Bernabeu in 2015, but it failed to materialise and he has since continued to play a fundamental role in United’s pursuit of success.
According to the Manchester Evening News though, that interest from the Spanish giants hasn’t gone away and in turn Mourinho has been forced to consider possible replacements just in case.
It won’t be cheap though, as although it’s highly unlikely that Atleti will demand the full €100m as per the Slovenian international’s release clause in his contract, it will still take a considerable offer to prise him away from the Spanish capital.
Further, wages could also be a stumbling block and so there is still a long way to go before the 24-year-old is considered a realistic target for the Red Devils, although he has previously discussed his desire to move to the Premier League, as noted in the report.
There’s no denying that Oblak is certainly one of the top shot-stoppers in Europe having kept 15 clean sheets in 27 games in all competitions for Diego Simeone’s side this season, and as a result there’s no surprise that United have been linked with having an interest.
In an ideal world they probably hope to fend off Madrid and keep De Gea. The Spaniard is one of the top goalkeepers in England, and having established himself at Old Trafford, it would be more beneficial to Mourinho to go forward with him.
In the event that they’re unable to do so, it appears as though Oblak will be the first choice option to replace him, although AC Milan youngster Gianluigi Donnarumma and Bayer Leverkusen’s Bernd Leno are also noted as possible alternatives.