Chelsea are reportedly plotting a surprise move for Manchester United number two goalkeeper Sergio Romero. For weeks, months even, it has been known that Frank Lampard is not happy with his number one goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga and the English manager has been seeking a replacement with Dean Henderson touted, despite the player being contracted at United for two more years, not to mention the fact he is close to signing a new contract at the club.
The Sun has suggested that Romero, 33, could be seeking an exit of the Old Trafford club this summer, after seeing David De Gea make some costly mistakes and not being given a chance to show what he could do, despite the fact we know that he is one of, if not the best second-choice goalkeeper in the Premier League at this moment in time and has been for most of the five years that he has been at United. It would seem that Henderson is returning to United this summer, despite conflicting reports.
If this happens, the 23-year-old will not be sitting there as the third or even fourth-choice goalkeeper and will be seeking to take on both Romero and De Gea with a view of winning the number one shirt at the club. Romero will not be happy in the fact that he could be the third-choice goalkeeper at the club and recently, he has been linked with Leeds United, who won promotion to the Premier League last season. Now Chelsea and even Everton seem to be interested in the player.
According to ESPN, the potential availability of a player like Romero could see the likes of Chelsea, Everton and even Leeds make a move for the Argentinian who could become the number one goalkeeper at all three clubs, given the chance. It would seem likely that this is not going to happen at United, otherwise it would have happened by now with De Gea’s downfall happening over the last two seasons, if not longer. It is suggested that United would be looking for around £5 million for the goalkeeper.
The goalkeeper initially signed a three-year contract in the summer of 2015 when he arrived at the club as a free agent and signed a four year contract in the summer of 2017, which will expire in the summer of 2021, although United have the option of adding a further year onto that contract. Chelsea have also been linked to Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ten Stegen, which is not going to happen and Ajax’s Andre Onana, plus Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster, formerly of United.
It may not end up being Chelsea who sign Romero, but his availability this summer, if both De Gea and Henderson are to battle for the number one shirt, could lead to an exit. One report in The Sun has linked the Argentinian to Aston Villa with United aiming to use the player, according to the reports, as a sweetener to signing Jack Grealish this summer, which is something that I am taking with a pinch of salt. It could well be that Romero will end his United career this summer and aim for a few years playing as the number one goalkeeper.
Written by John Walker
