Manchester United will seal a £3.5 million deal for Danish goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard in the next few days, with the player moving to Old Trafford in January, according to reports today. Lindegaard, currently on the books of Norwegian Tippeligaen outfit Aalesunds FK, is the first of two possible goalkeeping acquisitions before next summer.
United expect Edwin van der Sar to retire and number two Tomasz Kuszazck is likely to leave the club, with first team opportunities limited.
Aalesunds’ representatives were seen at Old Trafford today, although United ceo David Gill was absent at a Football Association board meeting in London. However, with the Norwegian club keen to push through a deal, formalities might conclude before the weekend. Last night Lindegaard appeared to bid farewell to his colleagues.
“I don’t know if I have played my last match for Aalesund,” Lindegaard told Sporten.dk.
“My plan is to move on now. You have got to be a very good goalkeeper to get sold these days.”
Lindegaard, 26, has just appeared in just under 100 professional games in a less than stellar career to date. However, the Dane has made astonishing progress over the past year. Having been used mainly as a back-up for the first six seasons as a pro, Lindegaard looked to be drifting out of the professional game.
Indeed, the ‘keeper was originally offered to Aalesunds on trial, and after impressing during an 18-game loan spell from Danish side OB Odense, he permanently signed for the Western Norwegian outfit. Somewhat ironically, former Red Roy Carroll’s arrival at OB signalled Lindegaard’s departure.
Aalesunds finished 4th in the Tippeligaen last season and won the Norwegian cup for the first time in the club’s short history in 2009.
Tor-Kristian Karlsen, the football consultant and scout familiar to many on social-networking site Twitter, described the player as a “good old fashion goalkeeper, nothing flash, not really a great footballer but suits English football.”
He is a “punt for first choice, more than adequate for second or third and it won’t have been an expensive deal,” he added.
Glowing reports of Lindegaard’s performances earned the 6’4″ stopper a first call-up to the national team this season, making his international début for Denmark in September, which has now extended to four caps. Lindegaard kept a clean sheet in last night’s friendly international match against the Czech Republic, which ended 0-0.
Despite Lindegaard’s growing stature it is not thought he will be the only goalkeeping acqusition at Old Trafford, as United seek to minimise the disruption when van der Sar quits in June 2011.
Mindful of the botched attempt to replace Peter Schmeichel in 1999, United goalkeeping coach Eric Steele has watched Lindegaard on no less than five occasions this season together with a raft of other talent throughout Europe.
When Schmeichel semi-retired to the sunnier climes of Portugal after the 1999 Champions League final, the club embarked on a road of mediocrity, signing at least seven ‘first choice’ goalkeepers – and others – before eventually settling on van der Sar in summer 2005. It came six years too late.
Indeed, United has watched David de Gea, Manuel Neuer, Hugo Lloris and Igor Akinfeev in particular over the past year. Few supporters would have picked out Lindegaard though, essentially a journeyman stopper for the best part of an underwhelming career.
However, United is also rumoured to be on the brink of signing David de Gea, the brilliant Spain Under-21 international, from Atlético Madrid in a deal worth €17.5 million. Madrid-based sports ‘paper Marca today said the only remaining issue is whether the 20-year-old joins United is January or next summer.
This view was dismissed by Atlético president Enrique Cerezo today, with the Spanish side notoriously hard-nosed about transfer negotiations.
“Nobody has talked to us. Nor do I have a clue about this matter,” Cerezo claimed.
“We hope that David de Gea remains an Atlético Madrid player for a very long time.”
de Gea started last season as Atléti’s third choice but injuries and form forced the youngster into the spotlight during a run to the Europa League final. Such were the Madrid-born player’s performances that he made Spain’s provisional 30-man World Cup squad last summer, eventually losing out to more experienced rivals.
Good age to make the big move and good price. Hope he works out. Still amazes me we’ve never got a top ‘keeper from our academy…at least in my living memory
it was expected that we sign this no name keeper lindegaard. lets hope he lives upto it…united keeping position is not for the weak of mind. you need be a good goalie, with two able feet and mentally strong. only time will tell whether this dane is as good as are last hero
if de gea is also to come in i wonder who will be the club’s #1 goalie then…creates more problems then answers i think. i’m sure kuazack is dusnki
So Van Der Sar is off then. Thanks for the awesome memories… Moscow in the rain
We really can’t afford a shite goalkeeper – the season would be a write off. I hope his head is in the right place and he gives us no problems, unlike that shite chatting chinny cunt Foster
Vow another wannabe!! We dont seem to have learnt our lesson when Schemical left. As the article correctly points out, we signed a bunch of clowns (except Bartez) when the big Dane left. Van der Sar was at Fulham and we ignored him! We all know how it turned out with our ‘keepers’ more keen to feature on gag videos on the net than picking up any awards…
Now another potential (adding to Bebe, Obertan, Fabio, Rafael, Smalling, etc) comes along to join the list. May be in 5 years time we may see a decent game of football at Old Trafford considering the disjointed, passionless, technically inept, sordid perfrmances we have been paying to watch lately! We were thoroughly outplayed by Wolves at home, made to lok like jerks by Villa’s B team…couldn’t score against Rangers at home….Instead of paying the debts the Yankees should’ve made it available to buy some decent plamakers and 1 left winger!!
2003-2004-2005 are back…deja vu. The only consolation is that Fergoe sorted it once adn we believe he can do it again…but not by buying another Kushshack!!!
“we signed a bunch of clowns (except Bartez)”……r u having a laff….Bartez was thee clown of all clowns….the Krusty of the goalkeeping world. Van der Saar has been the best keeper Utd have had since Schemical left, by a mile….I think even Fergie says he should’ve signed him in 2000 when he joined Fulham
Nah, Bathez was classy!
He used to sport a joke and play as a CF.
Yes he was not as reliable as VDS, but a great fun to watch.
And he was miles ahead of Kuzschak and Akinfeev for that matter.
It is just possible that Lindegaard might turn into a top keeper, but he has been a League Two goalkeeper, for years, until a few months ago. To start next season with him as Number One would be plain stupid. Lightening does not strike twice & the possibility that he wil be another Schmeichel must be remote.
To me de Gea could become possibly the best goalkeeper in the world. He has been beeen fantastic since he first played for Atletico. He has composure,athletisism, height, youth & for his age terrific maturity & looks like a much younger version of EVS. He could be one of our best buys. Look no further.
I should have said, a League Two player in a crap league, playing in front of 8000 on a good day.
de Gea has taken to playing against Barca & Real & a crowd of 100 000 in his stide.
God forbid.
de gea and Lindegaard wil go to united to replacement edwin van der sar
Apparently the 2 Norwegian directors are flying home early this morning without anything being finalised or signed. However I cant help but think it is the alleged 3.5 million price tag that is the biggest appeal about this guy.
Every top division club in Norway suffers from huge financial trouble, £3.5m is an excessive amount. They should just offer Aalesund £1.5m, and say “take it or leave it”. 3.5m is an incredible amount of money by Norwegian Tippeliga standards. There doesn’t seem to be much interest from other clubs at the moment, so I don’t think Aalesund would take the chance on trying to start a bidding war.
His talent as a goalkeeper is undeniable, but the consensus in Norway is that the top division is in it’s worst state in recent history, quality wise. It’s very difficult to judge how a player will perform based on his Tippeliga record alone. What worries me is that he lacks experience at the age of 26. He should probably have twice as many games as he has by this time. His performances for the Danish national team are encouraging though.
“Red Devils legend feels Lindegaard is not ready for Old Trafford”
http://msnsport.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12040_6514829,00.html
Oh but he probably backs Kasper for the job )
http://msnsport.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_6515018,00.html
http://fotball.aftenposten.no/eliteserien/article186158.ece
I think we should wait to see who lines up following VDS’ exit before we start hammering this guy and the club for “a lack of ambition”.
This guy is quite clearly a number 2, with potential to improve in the long term unlike TK who seems to have got worse.
It seems to me that de Gea will also arrive before next season and he appears to be an excellent signing.
I notice that some of the press have recycled quotes from Schmeichel about this guy not being good enough. Of course Schmeichel doesnt name Lindegaard once, but why let that get in the way of a good story. Schmikes, Reina and Cech were household names before they were signed, right?
urrmmm… yeah, great… I think…
“Anders Lindegaard is undergoing a medical at Manchester United ahead of his proposed switch from Aalesund.”
http://msnsport.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12040_6515350,00.html
Skysports got it wrong. He was in Norway yesterday.
Hope he can clear back pass cause he will be getting much of that
The deal isn’t as far on as the media led us to believe
Another waste of money. Why don’t we break the bank for a world class keeper. Has the debacle of what happened after Scmeichel left not sunk into SAF’s head all is the alzheimer’s kicking in.
We can promote Amos as 2nd choice. Fuck signing this guy.
Amos is atrocious at crosses. His performance against Wolves in the Carling Cup is testament to that.
he thinks the disaster that is fabianski and almunia can’t happen to united – apparently bosnich, caroll, taibi never happened to us.
spend good money on a goaly, ffs.
Foster still has the occasional brain fart… but he was fuckin incredible yesterday, against the Renties…
He fucked up early on, did you see?
He ran out, flapped, and let the ball go between his legs. Could easily have been a goal
Then, for the rest of the match he was fucking top draw, like you say
But that one fuck up is one fuck up too many
it’s only a fuck up if you get punished for it
But if you keep fucking up, you will get punished
And Foster makes one big error a game. He doesn’t know when to go or stay, and he plays nervous
i know this kid who plays for the local pub team as a stand in goalie….maybe send the united scouts a mail cos i’m sure he’s cheap – and thats what this club is all about at the moment – looking for value in this inflated market…
some of his stuff yesterday was world class though – goalies need time to bed in and as we said at the time, we either perservere with him for a year or two with some pain and then he comes good or you go for a proven don. maybe we got a buy-back clause on him. the spack out like you talked about has to be a confidence thing and can only be fixed by getting proven game time.
we need a proven goaly – with at least some international european experience
I don’t think it’s just a question of confidence – his decision making is dodgy too
The confidence thing can be rectified, aye, but not at Birmingham. He’ll show off his brilliant shot stopping ability every week and be the focus of manya MOTD analysis. But he’ll not experience pressure the same way he would at United. We need a goalie that can walk out in a European Cup Final and be the calmest man on the pitch.
We weren’t unfair to Foster. He had a decent run as United’s number 1 last season. He was understandably nervous to start off with, but it got worse and worse – City, Sunderland, Barnsley in the Cup… He cost us points and left Fergie with no choice
I don’t think he’s the finished thing yet. If he can improve his decision making, he’ll fuck up less and his confidence will improve. But it would take a monumental turn around, like Gomes at Spurs.
I’d much rather see us sign someone who is solid and consistent like van der Sar as opposed to a flash clown like Barthez who is capable of making wonderful saves – but at the back of your mind you know has a fuck-up or 2 in him.
fair johns on that – gomez was awesome at PSV so he was a first team regular but see what you mean about his first mistake – yuocan see it in his eyes – shat himself
ill be gobsmacked if we sign this degea cunt
fergie doesnt have bollocks anymore, why would he suddenly stick a teenager in as our number one, thats something the old fergie would do, the one that was good, this one turns to oshea and says son youve never been beaten ingoal so we’re sticking you in, heres 80k a week for being fat and hard to get the ball past due to being so fat and a fat cunt
uncle – think you forgot to mention O’Shea’s fat
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So Lindegaard has signed…
Fergie said Lindegaard is “bright”
That doesn’t mean good or great or United’s number 1
Lindegaard will be the Pigs replacement when he asks for a transfer in the summer. If VDS retires then United will sign another keeper in the summer, if he doesn’t they won’t. I’d like to see Lloris of Lyon/France, who is 23 but with plenty experience at the highest level. Lindegaard will be a solid back up with most Scandivanias good squad men.
dutch radio reports that VDS has told fergal that this IS his last season as wants to spend more time with his wife who had the brain injury. i think ladygarden will be understudy to a big bollocks goaly in the summer – can’t believe fergus wld trust him to lead the line straight away unless lady can get first team action Jan onwards.