Manchester United Cleared to Sign 26-Year-Old Shot-Stopper

Manchester United have been cleared to sign goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen this summer after Ajex told them that the Netherlands international is available for £17.8 million, according to Metro.

With David De Gea close to completing his dream move to Real Madrid, Louis Van Gaal is desperate to bring in a replacement and has made the 26-year-old Dutchman one of his top transfer targets.

Cillessen played under Van Gaal during his stint as Holland head coach. He had handed him first full international cap in 2013 and made him his no.1 in last summer’s World Cup, where Netherlands finished third.

Cillessen enjoyed a decent last season at Amsterdam club, having made 119 saves at an average of 3.7 per game.

While the latest reports suggest that Ajax are willing to sell Cillessen, the keeper had himself last week predicted that the club will make it “difficult” for him to move to Old Trafford.

“The Ajax management are going to make it really difficult when the interest becomes concrete,” he was quoted as saying by Daily Mirror.

Cillessen had joined Ajax in 2011 and has three years left on his current contract with the club.

“If I had planned to leave, I would not have signed a new contract until 2018. My old contract was expiring in the summer of 2016 and in that case this summer would have been the perfect moment to leave,” he said.

“[Ajax coach] Frank de Boer has been very clear when he received questions about my transfer – he wants to block it.’’