Man United close in on free transfer for goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha — he could fit Ten Hag's system better

Man United close in on free transfer for goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha — he could fit Ten Hag's system better

Manchester United could make former Lazio goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha our second signing of the summer, as per the Daily Mail.

Another outlet 90Min has also reported the same, with Strakosha, 27, available on a free transfer.

Newly-promoted Fulham were also interested in a move but it appears United could have the upper hand.

Strakosha played 23 times in Serie A last season and he's believed to have lost his confidence, reports the Daily Mail. Playing as back-up to David De Gea under Ten Hag could help him regain his mojo but he could also make a push to start more often.
Now, before you wonder why we're signing another goalkeeper, let's not forget that Dean Henderson is on loan at Nottingham Forest. That leaves only Tom Heaton, 36, as a back-up for De Gea.

Why Strakosha could fit Ten Hag's system better
While De Gea remains our No.1 option, fans have often lamented his poor distribution skills. And in the modern game, managers including Erik ten Hag, prefer goalkeepers who can build play from the back.

For example, in last season's Champions League, Ten Hag's Ajax side ranked second for short passes from the goalkeepers. Andre Onana and Remko Pasveer made a total of 25 passes that led to crucial attacks while De Gea came out in the 26th position on the list.

The Albanian goalkeeper is better at both short and long-range distribution. He completed 81% of his passes in 2021/22, while De Gea only completed 69%.

He also beat De Gea in terms of long balls, chipping in with an average of 6.3 per appearance compared to the Spaniard's average of 3.1 long balls.

While Strakosha would be an upgrade in those aspects, he needs to work on improving his reflexes during saves. If Ten Hag coaches him to correct those errors, this could be a highly beneficial transfer for United in the longer run.

Source: Daily Mail | Tribuna.com
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