Real Madrid have reportedly knocked back an initial €15m offer from Manchester United for goalkeeper Andriy Lunin as the Red Devils seek alternatives to a ‘desperate’ Premier League star.
The Red Devils are seeking a replacement for Andre Onana after the Cameroon international made a number of mistakes in his second season at Old Trafford.
A report last week claimed manager Ruben Amorim has decided to put his ‘trust’ in Onana despite his inconsistent displays last season, has ‘conveyed to the board his intention to count on him as a key piece in his project’ and ‘does not contemplate any other alternative’.
But club chiefs appear to be of a different mind as various reports suggest they’re still very much in the market for a new No.1.
They’re reportedly keen on World Cup winner Emiliano Martinez, who’s the current holder of the Yashin trophy having won the gong for two years on the trot.
The Argentinian appeared to wave goodbye to the Villa fans at the end of the season amid interest from Saudi Arabia, but he’s now supposedly ‘desperate’ to move to Old Trafford despite Atletico Madrid also being keen on signing him this summer.
Eager to add ‘captains and leaders’, Amorim is described as a ‘long-term admirer’ of the Villa shot-stopper, which may urge him to change his stance on retaining Onana as his first choice.
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But Villa’s £40m asking price may well prove to be a barrier for United, with the club in the market for new players in multiple positions after their worst season in living memory and with not a great deal of spare cash to spend given their failure to qualify for Europe as a result of that dreadful campaign.
With that in mind, they’ve reportedly made an opening bid of €15m [£12.8m] for Lunin, who impressed for Los Blancos last season as he covered for the injured Thibaut Courtois, but has found himself back on the sidelines this term following the Belgium international’s return to full fitness.
Lunin recently extended his Madrid contract to 2030 but did so ‘on the condition of reviewing his situation at the end of the season’, which prompted United to hold ‘conversations’ with Lunin’s agent, Jorge Mendes, and make the bid, according to Spanish outlet Fichajes.
That opening offer has been ‘rejected’ by the La Liga giants, who reportedly value the 26-year-old at €20m [£17m].
There’s also said to be interest from AC Milan in Lunin as ‘a new round of talks is expected’ between Chelsea and the Serie A side over a deal for Mike Maignan after the Blues made a £12.8m bid for the France international which fell short of Milan’s £20m valuation.
