Why Manchester United have completed a masterstroke by signing Lee Grant
Manchester United endured a largely underwhelming campaign last time out. Though the Red Devils finished second in the league, there weren’t a lot of positives to take back after Manchester City’s record-breaking run to the league title. Pep Guardiola’s men broke all kinds of records during their adventurous journey, amassing a total of 100 points and becoming the first team to do so.
The Red Devils also failed to win the FA Cup, losing the final 1-0 to Chelsea, courtesy of an Eden Hazard penalty. Jose Mourinho, however, must make a difference next season after a disappointing campaign.
United have already signed Fred for a reported fee of around £52 million. Mourinho also brought in Diogo Dalot for a fee of around £19.3 million on a five-year contract. In addition to that, the Red Devils have also signed Lee Grant on a two-year deal from Stoke City.
The Potters were relegated to the Championship last season and it comes as no surprise that the keeper was convinced to make the move.
Manager Mourinho wants to let U21 Portuguese international Joel Pereira go out on loan for the next season. Furthermore, Sam Johnstone has completed a move to join West Bromwich Albion, meaning the club could be short of options next season.
Hence, Grant has been brought in to provide cover for the likes of David De Gea and Sergio Romero. The 35-year-old has played over 500 professional games for Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday and Burnley. He is an excellent shot-stopper with impressive reflexes in the box. The goalkeeper is quite vocal and is adept at keeping the defence line in check at all times
Grant made the move to Stoke in 2016 but was only able to amass a total of 31 appearances since then. In the process, he kept 9 clean sheets, making a total of 99 saves. But Grant found regular game time hard to come by last season, making just 3 appearances for the Potters.
The move to Old Trafford is certainly favourable since it could see the goalkeeper play in cup matches and earn more minutes under Jose Mourinho. In addition, the move is also a shrewd one from Manchester United since they will require someone of Grant’s calibre to make a strong comeback next season.
