With David de Gea's formal departure seemingly imminent, Manchester United will be eager to invest in a top-class goalkeeeper this summer.
De Gea's contract expired at midnight on Friday night, and the general consensus appears to be that Erik Ten Hag will look to upgrade on the Spaniard during the transfer window.
United have been linked with several big names in recent weeks, and the two that have been mentioned most often are Porto's Diogo Costa and Inter Milan's Andre Onana.
Onana appears to be the prime target, and would command a hefty fee from the Italian side - as a result, fresh reports from the UK suggest that Financial Fair Play restrictions have forced Manchester United to look elsewhere.
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Manchester United could be restricted by Financial Fair Play rules
Manchester United look set to complete their first signing of the summer transfer window with the acquisition of Mason Mount from Chelsea now solely dependent on the Englishman completing a medical at the club.
That transfer will cost United £55 million plus an additional £5 million in add-ons and, with a top-quality striker desperately needed at the club, it's looking like it will be an expensive summer for Erik Ten Hag's side.
Mason Mount is set to become Manchester United's first signing of the summer (Photo: Shutterstock)
Laurie Whitwell of The Athletic reported on Saturday that the expenditure so far could cause issues in Manchester United's pursuit of a new goalkeeper and striker.
The report suggests that the club's bigwigs have set a limit of £100 million in net spend, in order to fall in line with Financial Fair Play regulations. With Mount already costing a huge portion of that limit, United will need to both offload some players, and perhaps look to more cost-effective options in other areas.
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It is suggested that Manchester United have enquired about the availability of Feyenoord goalkeeper Justin Bijlow, as an alternative to Onana and Costa. Manager Erik Ten Hag is known for his affection for players from his native Dutch league, with last season's acquisitions of Lisandro Martinez, Tyrrell Malacia, Antony, and Wout Weghorst all having links to the league.
Another issue is presented up front, with Atalanta increasing their asking price for young striker Rasmus Hojlund. The Athletic's report suggests that the Italian side have set a tag of £85.9 million for the Danish striker, and that United are unwilling to pay as much.
If Manchester United do end up paying a significant fee for a new striker this summer, they may be forced to stick with David de Gea in goal, and may look for a cheaper option as a solid second choice goalkeeper.
A transfer window which saw Manchester United initially looking at signing Andre Onana and Harry Kane may end up with significant downgrades on those two options arriving into the club, in news that will no doubt frustrate fans.
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