Manchester United's goalkeeper situation could at best be described as precarious.
David de Gea's future is of a key issue for Erik ten Hag just now. The Spaniard's deal expired at the end of last week and since then progress has been minimal.
United want to conduct face-to-face negotiations with their current No.1 but if his social media activity is anything to go by, De Gea is becoming tired of the endless saga. Should he decide to leave, Inter Milan's Andre Onana has been identified as the alternative and considering his impressive form last season and his relationship with Ten Hag, it would be a solid addition.
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ALSO READ: Who is Zion Suzuki?
While all eyes are on the De Gea issue, there are problems bubbling underneath. Tom Heaton is not getting any younger and has interest from elsewhere as he enters the final year of his deal. Meanwhile, Dean Henderson is currently injured and is not guaranteed to be at Old Trafford next season with Nottingham Forest interested.
MEN Sport understands the Reds are not against signing two goalkeepers this summer and so taking a punt on Zion Suzuki may well be worth the risk. The 20-year-old American-born Japanese international is currently plying his trade at Urawa Red Diamonds where he is back-up to Shusaku Nishikawa. United are interested in a move for a youngster who is widely tipped to have a bright future in the game.
Japan's national team manager Hajime Moriyasu believes Suzuki is an international calibre goalkeeper and his lack of games for his domestic side did not stop him from being handed an international debut last year.
Suzuki is known for his distribution and has adopted a sweeper keeper style which is preferred among modern day shot stoppers. At £5m, his price tag is modest and is relative loose change for the Reds who could well end up with a future star on their hands, or at worst a player with a decent re-sale value down the line.
The Japanese keeper is young but he is a player who could be shaped into Ten Hag's image and is likely to only get better with time while he would certainly accept being a squad option at Old Trafford. A main criticism of United's scouting department in recent years has been their inability to spot hidden gems. Suzuki could be just that.
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