Manchester United to launch shock £30m bid for England goalkeeper: report

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag makes notes during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on March 5, 2023.
(Image credit: PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Manchester United are set to make a surprise move for an England goalkeeper to shake up the squad.

Red Devils custodian David De Gea has come under criticism of late for his performances but manager Erik ten Hag has backed the Spaniard in goal – until recently, when comments about his position as No.1 were made. 

When asked by The Times if De Gea continue at Old Trafford, the Dutchman replied, "Yes, but I will not say he'll always be my No.1 – because in a club like Man United there must be competition in all positions."

David de Gea of Manchester United celebrates at full-time of the FA Cup quarter-final match between Manchester United and Fulham at Old Trafford on March 19, 2023 in Manchester, United Kingdom.

David de Gea is set to remain at Manchester United – but his first-choice status isn't guaranteed (Image credit: Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

According to talkSPORT, Jordan Pickford is top of the list for Ten Hag.

The England goalkeeper was one of Everton's standout players in a poor season, as the Toffees scraped survival on the final day of the season. At 29, he would be another experienced head in the United side.

According to Ben Jacobs of CBS Sports, United weren't the only club in for Pickford. Had Everton gone down, he could well have gone to Tottenham Hotspur.

"Jordan Pickford would have been available if Everton had gone down," Jacobs told FourFourTwo on June 1. "He has only recently signed a new deal but there was gentleman’s agreement that he could have left had Everton got relegated: now that he’s stayed up, he’s going to be harder to get."

Jordan Pickford

Jordan Pickford has been a target for multiple Premier League clubs (Image credit: Getty)

United are getting closer to selling Dean Henderson, according to GiveMeSport, too, with Nottingham Forest reportedly keen on making his loan deal permanent.

Pickford is valued by Transfermarkt at around £25 million.

More Manchester United stories

Manchester United transfer news is doing the rounds, with the Red Devils said to be in the market for several stars this summer. 

Ten Hag wants a new striker. Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund has been linked with a £40m move, while Mohammed Kudus would cost as much, too. Kim Min-jae is seriously linked, while Mason Mount continues to be rumoured, too. Incredibly, Neymar has been linked as well

United have also been reported to have interest in US midfielder Taylor Booth, while Adrian Rabiot has been linked, too.

Mark White
Content Editor

Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.