Manchester United are reportedly ready to smash their transfer record to trigger the £158million release clause of Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
This is according to Don Balon, who state that United are looking at the German shot-stopper as their preferred replacement for David de Gea as he looks set to leave for Real Madrid.
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Ter Stegen has impressed as one of the finest goalkeepers in Europe in recent years and could be a great addition at United, though £158m would be by some distance their most expensive purchase ever.
BBC Sport had the £89m fee paid for Paul Pogba in 2016 as United’s club-record transfer, so this would be close to double that for a goalkeeper, which would also make him the most expensive player of all time in that position.
BBC Sport reported last summer that the £35m Manchester City paid for Ederson was a record fee for a ‘keeper in sterling, but it would also break Gianluigi Buffon’s record in euros.
Losing De Gea would no doubt be a huge blow for United and it would understandably take big money to fix that problem were he to make way this summer.
Still, United fans may be understandably cautious about blowing so much of their transfer budget on one player, whatever position they play.