Manchester United will have to work hard to land transfer target Yann Sommer, with his manager insisting he is not for sale.
The Borussia Mönchengladbach keeper has been on United’s radar for some time, and it seems the club are ready to step up their pursuit for the shot stopper.
But in an interview with 90min.com, his club manager has claimed his number one is staying put.
Daniel Farke, the former Norwich manager, has steered the German side to to some impressive results since taking over in the summer, and Sommer has been at the heart of the team.
The Swiss international will be out of contract in six months, and has been at the centre of transfer speculation in recent days.
Fellow Bundesliga side Bayern Munich have also expressed and interest in the 34-year-old, with their first choice keeper Manuel Neuer having sustained a broken leg on a post-World Cup holiday.
And with United’s recent second choice, Martin Dubravka, being recalled from his loan spell at Old Trafford by his parent team Newcastle, Erik ten Hag is keen on bringing Sommer in to the club.
Farke has dismissed any suggestion that the keeper might leave, instead saying that his future is with Mönchengladbach, and that they intend to rectify the on-going contract doubts.
“I’m totally relaxed because there are always discussions about good players. He’s one of Europe’s best goalkeepers. He has a contract until the summer and we have no intention at all of letting him go”, insisted Farke.
“Why should we let such a goalkeeper go? There would have to be very, very good reasons for wanting to let such a quality player go. On the contrary – we want to extend the contract with Yann. There will be talks soon”, added the 46-year-old coach.
“We have one of the best goalkeepers in Europe under contract and we have ambitions. For that we need Yann Sommer. Why would we let him go? There’s no reason for that at all”, alluding to the fact that Sommer is indeed, one of the most highly rated European goalkeepers right now.
It is believed that ten Hag is confident in his options for now, with plans to offer the Switzerland international a pre-contract agreement before signing on a free in the summer, preferred over a January switch.
And despite his managers protestations, having two of Europe’s elite clubs as suitors, will no doubt make Sommer consider his future.