Gary Neville has pulled no punches on one area that Manchester United must improve before the end of the transfer window, despite already forking out £200million on a new front line.
All of Ruben Amorim’s new forward additions were showcased on Sunday against Arsenal, with Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha starting from the off.
The pair were brave on the ball and added much-needed quality to United’s offence, causing Arsenal’s famed centre-back pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba countless problems.
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But Amorim’s side still failed to break the Gunners’ watertight defence, even when physical monster Benjamin Sesko entered the field.
The only goal of the game came from an Arsenal set piece
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Despite this, Neville has identified United’s goalkeeper options as one that Amorim must improve before the window shuts.
The Portuguese boss confirmed before the game on Sunday that last year’s No 1, Andre Onana, was fit for the clash but had not been selected, instead opting for Turkish shotstopper Altay Bayindir.
But it was the 27-year-old at the centre of the discussion after the game, with Arsenal’s game-winning goal coming from a corner which Bayindir got a hand to but could not clear the ball away.
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Altay Bayindir suffered criticism for his role in Arsenal's match-winner, with Gary Neville insisting a replacement must be the top of the Red Devil's priorities
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Riccardo Calafiori was the beneficiary of the Turkish international’s fumbled punch clearance, with the Italian defender heading home on the goal line.
The debate carried long after the game as to whether Bayindir was fouled by Saliba on the line, with United boss Amorim insisting his goalkeeper was fouled.
“If it’s allowed, we need to do the same thing,” he said in his post-match press conference.
Regardless of whether a foul was committed or not, Neville believes that the No 1 position has to be United’s priority in the final weeks of the window.
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“The glaring issue for United that can’t be ignored and that is that they do need to find a goalkeeper,” Neville said after the game. “They have to. I am absolutely unequivocal about it.
“I had experience at United for 20 years where there were two big periods for seven or eight years of [Peter] Schmeichel and [Edwin] van der Sar, and then in between we had seven or eight goalkeepers in a six or seven-year period.
“It’s really unsettling when you haven’t got a dominant No1 who owns his six-yard box, who comes and punches anything, makes a lot of saves one-on-one and saves you points when defenders make mistakes.”
The former United full-back, who made 600 appearances for the club, was then questioned by commentator Peter Drury about Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
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Gary Neville believes a goalkeeper should be the priority for Manchester United
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The Italian goalkeeper is expected to leave the Parisians in the summer, with his agent announcing that the Premier League was the “right step” for the Champions League winner.
United have also been linked to Aston Villa shotstopper Emi Martinez throughout the window. The club are said to have made a loan bid but saw it rejected by Unai Emery’s side, with the Argentine sitting out their opening Premier League game due to suspension.
Neville continued: “The two that you look at that were benched in the last few weeks are [Emi] Martinez and [Ganluigi] Donnarumma. The reason I say those two would be good goalkeepers for Manchester United is not necessarily because I think they’re the best goalkeepers in Europe or are amazing, but they’ve got big personalities and characters.
“We’ve seen Donnarumma in a European final for Italy, saving those penalties he looks like a giant, playing for PSG in huge games under pressure. We’ve seen Martinez play in World Cup finals and win the World Cup.
“They almost walk out with that arrogance and dominance of a goalkeeper. And Manchester United need that.”