Spanish outlet Marca has linked Manchester United with a swoop for PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas, with Italian giants Juventus and AC Milan also said to be interested.
The Costa Rican’s place in the Ligue 1 side is likely to be
threatened by the imminent arrival of Gianluigi Donnarumma, making a move away
from France a serious possibilityNavas has, of course, been linked with United
before, so fans with medium-term memories might be excused for wincing at the
sight of his name.
For those who don’t remember the absurdity of ‘De Gea
fax-gate’, a quick recap may prove useful.Back in 2015 a deal was agreed for
Navas to join United from Real Madrid in a cash-plus-player exchange for David
De Gea. ‘Big Dave’ was at the height of his considerable powers and United fans
were desperate for something – anything – to derail the deal.
What they couldn’t have anticipated was a fault with United’s
fax machine stopping the timely submission of paperwork, meaning the deal
couldn’t be completed before the transfer deadline.The right result then.
However, the farcical nature of the breakdown seemed to underline the kind of
broader institutional failings that defined the club at the time.
Navas ended up staying in Madrid for four more years,
becoming a fan-favourite and an ever-present in a side that won three
successive Champions League titles.
However, the keeper was eventually ousted from the starting
line up by Thibaut Courtois, spending a season playing understudy to the
Belgian before moving to PSG in 2019His exploits in Paris have seen Navas
cement his reputation as a superb keeper, making the current uncertainty more
than a little curious.
It seems odd that a keeper as feted as Navas should find
himself both lauded and usurped with such regularity. Furthermore, the Costa
Rican only committed to a three-year extension at Parc des Princes earlier this
year, so is obviously settled in the French capital.
He’s a two-time winner of UCL goalkeeper of the year – one
apiece with Real and PSG – and winner of around one hundred international caps.
He’s rarely injured or newsworthy for the wrong reasons and is loved by fans
spanning two continents.Yet, here we are again, on the cusp of another strange
period in Navas’ life of seemingly endless déjà vu.
Perhaps the biggest irony in all of this involves the total
reversal of fan expectation since the last time the keeper was linked with a
move to Manchester.
With De Gea’s crown having long-since slipped, he’s now
widely seen as a virtual deadweight, whereas Navas would now be viewed by most
of United’s fanbase as an ideal replacement.
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