9 clean sheets in 15 games: Man Utd set sights on signing De Gea's successor - report

Manchester United have their sights on Benfica goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos following his impressive start to the current campaign, Media Foot claim.

The Red Devils signed Martin Dubravka on loan from Newcastle United this summer in order to provide quality competition to David de Gea between the sticks.

However, the Slovakian has yet to make his Red Devils debut and there could be the possibility of the Magpies recalling him at the beginning of the New Year.

Amidst this, Media Foot claim that United have Vlachodimos on their transfer radar and they could go head-to-head with Leicester City to land the 28-year-old.

The report adds that the door to Old Trafford could be wide open in January, suppose he continues to maintain his current run of form over the coming weeks.

Vlachodimos could be De Gea’s potential successor

The Stuttgart-born star has been outstanding for Benfica this term. He has kept nine clean sheets from 15 appearances while conceding just seven goals in the process.

Vlachodimos recently starred against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League where he made seven saves as Benfica secured a hard-fought 1-1 draw at home.

Hence, there are no surprises that he is attracting high-profile interest. The Greek is strong with his reflexes, but has also caught the eye with his ball-playing ability.

He has completed over 76 per cent of his passes for club and country this campaign which is far superior to De Gea’s current season’s average of 66.3 for the Red Devils.

The £13.5 million-rated star has also fared better with his long-ball distribution per game compared to De Gea (5.4 to 4). It remains to be seen whether United move for him.

De Gea’s current £375,000-a-week expires in the summer of 2023, but the club have the option to extend his stay for another 12 months if they are willing to do so.

With the club’s annual wage bill at a record high, we won’t be surprised if the Spaniard is released next summer.

If United are to pursue Vlachodimos, they may need to act fast this winter, considering the Foxes also want a new number one with Danny Ward struggling to impress.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com, WhoScored.com and Spotrac.com

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