According to the Daily Mail, Manchester United are considering Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Robert Sanchez as a more cost-effective option compared to Inter Milan’s Andre Onana.
With David de Gea’s contract having expired, the Red Devils are in need of a new starting goalkeeper. While Onana is their primary target, negotiations with Inter Milan are underway.
United recently made a verbal offer of €45 million (£38.5 million) for Andre Onana, but Inter Milan are holding out for a higher fee of at least €60 million (£51.4 million) for the goalkeeper.
In light of this, the Daily Mail reports that United have identified Brighton’s Sanchez as a more cost-effective option. Brighton are willing to consider offers in the region of £30 million.
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Despite representing Spain internationally, the 25-year-old is considered a home-grown player as he has been with Brighton since the age of 15.
Last season, Sanchez had a pass accuracy of 75% in the Premier League, but he experienced a dip in form towards the end of the campaign, resulting in him being dropped by manager Roberto De Zerbi.
Sanchez’ preferred playing long balls, accounting for over one-third of his total passes. In contrast, his replacement, Jason Steele, was more inclined to take risks with short passes when facing high-pressure situations.
Steele outperformed Sanchez in terms of pass accuracy, achieving an accuracy rate of 88%. Additionally, Steele demonstrated a higher level of creativity, generating double the number of shot-creating actions, thanks to his ability to play direct passes.
Despite the impressive performances of Jason Steele, Brighton have recently signed Bart Verbruggen from Anderlecht, indicating that Sanchez has now become the third-choice goalkeeper under manager Roberto De Zerbi.
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In our opinion, United should avoid pursuing a deal for Sanchez. He has shown a susceptibility to making errors when faced with high-pressing teams, and his long balls often result in possession losses due to their inaccuracy.
Sanchez would not significantly improve upon David de Gea’s abilities. In fact, Steele, who is approaching 33 years of age, is considered a better shot-stopper than Sanchez, highlighting the Spaniard’s limitations as a goalkeeper.
