Manchester United Closing in On Former Lazio Goalkeeper Strakosha

According to Mr Geoff Peters, presenter at talkSPORT, Manchester United are closing in on former Lazio goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha.

This comes after the Albanian international’s contract with Lazio came to an end. Fulham were reportedly interested in the player but are instead targeting Arsenal’s, Bernd Leno.

Chelsea were also interested in signing him as a backup to Edouard Mendy with Kepa looking to leave the Blues. West Ham as well, but they have rather opted to make permanent the signing of Alphonse Areola, who had previously joined the club on loan.

Strakosha leaves Lazio after making nearly 208 appearances for the club, carving out a reputation for himself as one of the most respected shot-stoppers in the country. The 27-year-old made 31 appearances in the 21/22 season and managed to keep 11 clean sheets.

With Dean Henderson going out on loan to Nottingham Forest, Strakosha is believed to be the understudy to David de Gea. The Albanian could become Erik Ten Hag’s second summer signing after recently agreeing a deal for Dutch full-back Tyrell Malacia.

Would Strakosha be a good signing for Manchester United?

Strakosha would represent a cheap and decent option for United, coming with little to no risk at all. It would be a swift deal to sort and would not compromise this summer’s transfer budget.

The 27-year-old has decent experience in Europe and would be a significant deputy to David de Gea. Although the last couple of years have not been too kind to Strakosha, a fresh start could be just what he needs.

He is a confident penalty specialist, which would be useful for the upcoming Europa League campaign. Manchester United are currently in Thailand as preseason preparations are underway.

The Red Devils are hopeful that Christian Eriksen could pass a medical in time and have stepped up their pursuit of Lisandro Martinez by tabling an improved offer of £43m for the Ajax center-back.

However, it is understood that no further progress has been made in talks with Barcelona over transfer target Frenkie de Jong, despite negotiating with the Catalan club for the last month.