Manchester United Need To Beat Chelsea To European Goalkeeper Amid Andre Onana Doubts

Ruben Amorim has struck by a problematic Andre Onana
Ruben Amorim has struck by a problematic Andre Onana | Stu Forster/GettyImages

Andre Onana is in his second season with Manchester United but it's fair to say that the jury is well and truly out over him being the Red Devils' long-term number one. Several shaky performances and constant lapses in concentration have been a mainstay throughout his spell at Old Trafford.

The 28-year-old looked to have turned a corner with some impressive displays at the start of the ongoing campaign but has regressed since Ruben Amorim replaced Erik ten Hag in November. It seems likely that the club will soon lose patience with the Cameroonian and look for a replacement.

Manchester United may already be in the process of finding a new number one for Amorim. The Independent reports that the Reds are set to battle it out with Chelsea for Borussia Dortmund shot-stopper Gregor Kobel, who has been in fine form over recent seasons.

Manchester United Must Win Race For Kobel

Gregor Kobel
Gregor Kobel is on the Red Devils' agenda | Frederic Scheidemann/GettyImages

The Red Devils are said to have been 'monitoring' Kobel for some time and could swoop for the Swiss goalkeeper if Dortmund are prepared to listen to offers next summer. He's also on Chelsea's radar amid a similar disappointing spell for Robert Sanchez at Stamford Bridge as Onana is enduring at Old Trafford.

There's no word on what fee it would take to sign Kobel but Dortmund aren't having the best of seasons so a Signal Iduna Park overhaul could commence next summer. The 27-year-old has been with the club since July 2021, making 143 appearances and keeping 46 clean sheets.

Kobel has over three years left on his contract, so there's no chance of negotiating a potential deal at a cut-price fee. He's valued at Transfermarkt at around £33.5 million and given Chelsea are also interested that valuation will only be higher.

Is Andre Onana Under Threat To Lose His Number One Jersey This Season?

Andre Onana, Altay Bayindir
Altay Bayindir could be chasing Onana's number one jersey | Vasile Mihai-Antonio/GettyImages

Manchester United's potential pursuit of Kobel is only going to fuel further talk that the club have decided Onana isn't the right choice to be David de Gea's long-term replacement between the sticks. He's appeared 30 times across competitions this season, keeping eight clean sheets.

Altay Bayindir is Amorim's cup competition goalkeeper, and the Turkish shot-stopper has fared well in recent weeks. He was man-of-the-match in an FA Cup third-round win over Arsenal, saving Martin Odegaard's penalty in normal time before denying Kai Havertz in a 5-3 shootout win. He was again impressive in a 2-1 win over Rangers and 2-0 victory against FCSB in the Europa League.

Next up for the Red Devils is Crystal Palace's visit to Old Trafford on Sunday (February 2). It will be interesting to see whether Amorim opts to continue with Bayindir in goal amid Onana's unreliability.