Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, regardless of whether David de Gea remains at Old Trafford.
De Gea has been at the Theatre of Dreams since 2011, accumulating 541 appearances during that time, and he recently secured the Premier League Golden Glove award for 2022-23.
However, there has been constant uncertainty regarding the 32-year-old's future with United opting against activating a 12-month extension to his contract.
That decision has been taken to reduce De Gea's wages, allegedly standing at £375,000 per week, but the Spaniard and head coach Erik ten Hag have been consistent in expressing a desire to continue their working relationship.
Whether a new deal for De Gea materialises remains to be seen, yet United must also find solutions for the remainder of their goalkeeping department.
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Tom Heaton is in the latter stages of his career, Jack Butland will leave at the end of his loan spell from Crystal Palace and it appears likely that Dean Henderson will be sold when returning from Nottingham Forest rather than compete for a first-team role.
According to The Independent, United are giving serious considering to making a formal approach for Kobel.
The 25-year-old has starred for Dortmund during 2022-23, making a total of 32 appearances in all competitions and contributing to the club's Bundesliga title challenge.
Kobel also produced a man-of-the-match performance during a 1-0 victory over Chelsea in the Champions League, his presence being missed in the second leg as the Premier League side turned the last-16 tie around.
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Chelsea have previously been linked with their own move for Kobel in a bid to resolve their dilemmas between the sticks, but it appears that the Switzerland international features highly on Ten Hag's shortlist.
The Dutchman seemingly wants to create greater competition behind the scenes and possess different options when a switch in tactics is required.
Dortmund remain in a strong position to retain the services of Kobel with the stopper still having over three years left on his contract.
Nevertheless, Dortmund would be able to make a significant profit on the €15m that they paid Stuttgart in 2021.
Darren Plant
