Matt Ryan would be a good replacement for David De Gea at Manchester United
According to The Sun, Manchester United are keen on signing Brighton’s Australian goalkeeper Matt Ryan as a replacement for David De Gea.
The Spaniard, who currently earns £200,000-a-week, has less than a year remaining on his current which is set to expire next summer and he has refused to sign a new deal. (h/t Sun) And the club officials fear that the highly-rated shot-stopper might be nearing the end of his time at Old Trafford. (h/t The Sun)
The 27-year-old Spaniard has put in some solid shifts between the sticks this term as well. However, he can be hardly blamed for not keeping as many clean sheets as United have had a lot of issues with their porous and vulnerable backline.
It has been a dismal start to the Premier League for the Red Devils and Jose Mourinho’s men are currently 7th in the standings, nine points behind league leaders and arch-rivals Manchester City. As things stand, United are virtually out of the title race and a top-four finish would be a decent enough result for the club.
United have as many as 11 players who are nearing the end of their current contracts at Old Trafford and losing De Gea would deal a huge blow to the club’s domestic and European aims next season. However, United will have to look for a potential option to replace De Gea should the Spaniard leave the club next summer.
And Brighton’s Matt Ryan is definitely a good choice. Given that United need to strengthen multiple areas of their squad in January or next summer, the 26-year-old Australian shot-stopper would be a good bargain for a decent price.
Ryan has impressed between the sticks for Brighton since making his move to the Premier League from La Liga outfit Valencia. He was one of the Seagulls’ standout performers of the season last term and has carried his good form into the ongoing campaign as well.
Matt Ryan has kept clean sheets in each of Brighton’s 1-0 victories over West Ham, Newcastle and Wolves this season, making a number of important saves to preserve his team’s lead.
The 26-year-old was instrumental in Brighton’s surprise 3-2 win over Manchester United in their second game of the season where he made a superb double-save to deny the Red Devils a way back into the game.
Standing at just over 6ft, Ryan is not particularly tall for a goalkeeper but he makes up for his relative lack of height with his intelligent positioning. A fast and agile presence between the sticks, Ryan is well-built for a goalkeeper and uses his frame to guard the goal. His reflexes are pretty sharp and right up there with the best.
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The Australian has impressed with his decision-making and his ability to handle crosses. While he often puts his body on the line to save shots from close range, he is not afraid to charge out of his area. However, the most impressive thing about him is his passing and distribution with both feet and hand. In fact, he can set up quick counter-attacks with his superior distribution skills.
That said, United should not hesitate to snap him up as a potential replacement for De Gea if the Spaniard doesn’t sign a new deal before the end of the season.
