Manchester United are in talks with Crystal Palace over a deal to sign Jack Butland after Martin Dubravka's loan was terminated.
Dubravka, 33, was recalled by parent club Newcastle on New Year's Day - leaving the Red Devils with just two senior goalkeepers on their books in David de Gea, 32, and Tom Heaton, 36. As such, United boss Erik ten Hag is expected to sign a replacement.
It's believed Butland, 29, could be the man to fill Dubravka's gloves. The Englishman, who has previously described United as "the biggest club in the world", hasn't featured this term after breaking a finger in a pre-season friendly in July. He is now fully fit.
Ironically, Butland suffered that injury against United. He returned to fitness during the recent World Cup in Qatar and is expected to find a new club after entering the final six months of his Palace contract. According to The Telegraph, that club could be United.
It's believed United have opened talks with Palace over a deal for Butland, although it's unclear whether that would be a loan or permanent deal. That would perhaps depend on whether Butland is happy to sit on United's bench on a long-term basis.
Ten Hag is reportedly after a goalkeeper with Premier League experience and Butland would fit that bill. He was once regarded as a future first-choice England stopper after impressing at first club Birmingham City and Stoke - earning nine senior caps.
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Butland's career stalled after suffering a broken ankle during a friendly against Germany in March 2016, which ruled him out for 13 months. The goalkeeper suffered another blow when Stoke were relegated from the Premier League in May 2018.
Butland was handed a second shot at the top flight when Palace signed him in October 2020. Yet he's struggled to get ahead of Vicente Guaita in the pecking order and saw his opportunities limited further by the arrival of Sam Johnstone last summer.
Butland is still young enough to become a regular in the Premier League. A loan deal until the end of the season could be the best option, as it solves United's short-term problem and gives him a chance to represent a club he's long admired.
"My ambitions are to be the Stoke No.1 and England No.1, but there are other things I want to achieve in my career as well," Butland told talkSPORT in 2017, as quoted by GOAL. "I want to play in the Champions League and I want to win trophies."
Butland added: "If it’s the right move at the right time, you never know. You always have to think about these things. A club like Man Utd, or whoever it may be... United are, for me, the biggest club in the world and you have to take those things in consideration."
But a long-term deal might not be the best option for Butland, as he's unlikely to displace De Gea as United's first-choice goalkeeper. The Spaniard's existing deal is expires in June, but United are expected to trigger an automatic 12-month extension shortly.
