Begovic targeted by Manchester United

I've heard the lot now. Man Utd want Begovic.

If so, take the cash on offer and go and get Ben Foster on a free. Played 26 games last season. So he's still fit enough. Also he fits the profile – relegated last season.

Why then isn't Utd interested in him? (Foster, I mean...) Doesn't compute.

If this is true, then I think he might be lined up to replace De Gea, not act as his back up?

The United keeper is having a terrible time of things, having been amongst the world's best just 2 years ago. Business is business though. If United stump up £8 million, that will come in very useful.

That said, I think Begovic has been a good signing for Everton, he has been an able deputy for Pickford when called upon.

Niall (3) - Begovic to replace De Gea? Can you imagine the uproar from United fans if they signed the 35-year-old Everton reserve keeper for that job? No chance.

De Gea made errors in their last game but he actually was back nearer his old self last season and was one of their better performers.

Not a cat in hell's chance of this happening.

If he moves we then have to go and buy (or loan) a replacement, and someone who is prepared to spend most of the season sitting on the bench. We would be left with Andy Lonergan and maybe Billy Crellin as back-up to Pickford, and trying to find another back-up keeper at this stage of the transfer window should be the least of our worries.

A big No No from me.

Andrew (#3)

It isn't a flight of fancy. I have a good mate who supports United, and he tells me their fans are split over De Gea, there is apparently a section of the fan base who think he is no longer the keeper he was, and his wages are a huge burden.

If you look on social media, there are also United fans who think Henderson was too easily discarded, and that De Gea should have been sold to a La Liga club.

As I said in my post, “if this is true”? I am not sure there's any credence at all in the Begovic link, as United are being linked with lots of players in their mid-thirties right now, and it's probably all paper talk. Maybe Ronaldo's soon-to-follow revelations will tell us more about where they are at?

If Begovic's head has been turned and he wants to go to a club that's bottom of the table, leaking goals for fun and has the worst defence in the Premier League, then I'd let him go if the cash offer is right.

We would be prepared to accept Ronaldo in part exchange as a gesture of goodwill, so long as he promises to stay well away from any mobile phones on match days.

Good, now can we recall Virginia from his loan, and all the strikers on loan while we are at it.

£50M and he's theirs!

In all honesty he's a pretty good back-up. Hope he stays.

Not our biggest problem but I'd be disappointed to lose Begovic. I think he's done really well and his arrival has helped Pickford's form too.

I don't think you can just bring people back from loan once you've signed the loan agreements – so we can't just replace him with Virginia at a moment's notice.

I don't see the point in adding more transfer challenges to those already facing Everton.

Begovic has performed well when called upon and Id expect him to start against Fleetwood.

I also think this is journos doing the stirring in wake of United's demolition at Brentford last week.

But it's a funny old game as they say, and let's see what happens.

Surprised they don't just re-sign Foster if he's on a free rather than potentially spend money...

Begovic on the way to Man Utd apparently. That'll free up some cash for another defensive midfielder.

Rob,

"We would be left with Andy Lonergan and maybe Billy Crellin as back-up to Pickford."

That's a good point. Hopefully we can shift them too so we have a team entirely comprised of central defenders and central midfielders.

Robert (10) - Spot on. I’d be surprised and disappointed to see Lampard sanction Begovic leaving.

One thing we might be more concerned about is a bid from Man Utd for Pickford...

Robert@10, you can bring a player back off loan, however and this is the craziest thing I’ve heard for a while, he can play for the reserves but cannot play for the first team.

Who the hell came up with that one.

Brian (17) - I am guessing here but I think it's always likely to depend on the individual terms agreed, and whether the parent club has the ability/space to register the returning loanee as a part of their first team squad at the point at which they return.

For most clubs agreeing to loan a player, the idea that the parent club can just whisk them back as and when it suits them would more than likely be a significant enough deterrent as to scupper the loan agreement in the first place.

What I find very strange is that if United are in the market for a keeper why they are looking at Everton's reserve keeper and not Englands No 1.

Do they know something we don't know?

Neil (19)

Yes. They know that Pickford won’t want to join them as backup to De Gea.

We’ve no strikers, and then cutting into the keeper options. How Everton.

Jim
Some people here were talking about Bergovic as a replacement for De Gea.
I’m no Pickford fan, can be a brilliant shot stopper but is too erratic for my liking. I also would be seriously concerned that he has been given that captains armband.
If United were concerned with De Gea’s performance surly they would be looking for a top quality keeper and then find it strange they are looking at our second choice. Could it be they don’t rate him or see him as an improvement on De Gea.

I hope he stays, he could be our Number 1 if Pickford didn't have a tremendous season last time.

Begovic as backup and competition improved Pickford's game. But, if there is money available for him, he will be gone.

Hope there is no player exchange involved or Kenwright. We could end up with Rojo or Smalling even though they are long gone and would need digging up.

This is just another example of another club asking what would Everton do, in this case if your keeper suddenly starts throwing wobblers.

Some obviously think it worked once but isn't De Gea getting paid a small to quite large fortune every week at Man Utd?