Dorde Petrovic at centre of transfer tussle between Manchester United and Liverpool | OneFootball

Dorde Petrovic at centre of transfer tussle between Manchester United and Liverpool | OneFootball

Icon: The Peoples Person

The Peoples Person

·25 May 2023

Dorde Petrovic at centre of transfer tussle between Manchester United and Liverpool

Article image:Dorde Petrovic at centre of transfer tussle between Manchester United and Liverpool

Manchester United have three goalkeepers in the senior squad but, as things stand, all of them will be leaving the club at the end of next month.

David de Gea and Tom Heaton are due to see their contracts expire at the end of the season, while Jack Butland’s loan comes to an end.


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And while new deals remain a possibility for any of those players, there is a feeling that United may look to strengthen their goalkeeping options.

De Gea is certainly expected to accept a fresh contract on terms reduced from his current £375,000-a-week salary.

But given last summer’s pursuit of the likes of Kevin Trapp and Yann Sommer, it is thought that Erik ten Hag would like to sign a player who can provide genuine competition for the Spaniard.

One player who could provide that without forcing the club to part with a substantial transfer fee or wage packet is Dorde Petrovic, who has been linked with the club by Serbian outlet Nogo Mania.

The New England Revolution shot-stopper is undoubtedly the best goalkeeper in the MLS, boasting an astonishing save percentage of 82.3%.

Digging deeper, his Post-shot xG (expected goals against based on how likely it would be for a goalkeeper to save a shot) minus his actual goals against is a remarkable +0.47 per 90 minutes, as per Fbref.

For context, De Gea’s stands at 0.0, meaning he is letting in as many as would be expected.

Naturally, Petrovic’s numbers would be unlikely to remain at their current level upon stepping up from the MLS to the Premier League.

But at 23 years of age, the 6’4” Serbian has plenty of scope for development and could be moulded into a top-class goalkeeper.

Manchester United are not alone in their interest, however, with rivals Liverpool and Portuguese outfit Benfica also keen.


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