Manchester United have been one of the more active sides in the summer transfer window with some key players already signed, but have seen their advances rejected in the search for a backup goalkeeper as Zion Suzuki has made a loan move to Belgian side Sint-Truidense V.V.
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United Search for Onana Deputy Continues
Strong Squad Required
Andre Onana will be the undisputed number one this coming season, but with Dean Henderson’s future reportedly up in the air, United are looking for another option in this position. Tom Heaton at 37 is a solid option but has not had significant regular high-level football since a spell with Aston Villa during the 2019/20 season. He has started five of seven games in pre-season as the Onana deal took time to get over the line.
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The club were interested in Suzuki, who made his international debut for Japan last month. The 20-year-old has kept 12 clean sheets in 29 games across all competitions for the Urawa Red Diamonds in Japan’s top tier but has not been the number-one choice. Erik ten Hag had seen the potential in the Japan international, with the clubs having agreed on a fee according to Samuel Luckhurst. It cannot be discounted that the marketing benefits of this move may have played a factor in the interest, as the fee could have been a record for a Japanese player.
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Suzuki Rejects United for Belgium Move
Likely not convinced by his prospects of playing time, the youngster rejected a move to Old Trafford in favour of moving to Belgian Pro League side STVV, or Sint-Truidense VV. The Belgian outfit finished 12th in the top flight last season. The club are Japanese owned and their current number one, Daniel Schmidt, is also a Japanese international with 13 caps since his debut in 2018. Schmidt has impressed and kept two clean sheets in his team’s two opening league victories.
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Suzuki may have to bide his time to achieve regular playing time in Belgium, so it may not be a disaster for United to be missing out on this one. The Red Devils may have seen value for money in this deal but will have to look elsewhere with the opening fixture against Wolves approaching. It would not be the worst-case scenario if Heaton were the main backup goalkeeper, as his many campaigns of top flight football provide a steady, experienced safety net.
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