Manchester United fans have had to watch Andre Onana struggle between the sticks after the club pushed out David de Gea two years ago.
The Cameroonian shot-stopper has endured a tough time since his £50 million move from Inter Milan.
Costly errors have raised questions about United’s decision to move on from De Gea.
But life could have been very different for the club had they opted for a different goalkeeper all those years ago.
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Thibaut Courtois has now revealed that he was keen to join United before they instead chose David de Gea as their long-term No.1.
The Belgian, now regarded as one of the best goalkeepers of his generation, grew up supporting United and had dreams of playing at Old Trafford.
“I loved Edwin van der Sar and Casillas,” Courtois told the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast (via the Mirror).
“I always followed Manchester United for Edwin.
“They signed David (De Gea), you know.
“So that helped me shape my path in a different way.”
At the time, Courtois was making a name for himself at Genk, where he was attracting interest from several clubs.
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“Obviously, there was some interest from Tottenham and Chelsea, and some other teams from other countries,” he said.
“But Chelsea had the best project for me on the long term.
“And because David was going to Manchester, it opened the door for me to go on loan to Atletico.”
Rather than joining United, Thibaut Courtois signed for Chelsea in 2011 before heading to Atletico Madrid on loan for three years.
During that time, he won La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Europa League, cementing himself as one of the best young goalkeepers in Europe.
🚨 Rio Meets Thibaut Courtois! 🚨
Join @rioferdy5 for an Exclusive Interview with Real Madrid’s number one @thibautcourtois pic.twitter.com/bLIWp6x4vg
— Rio Ferdinand Presents (@FIVEUK) February 18, 2025
He later returned to Chelsea, where he won two Premier League titles, Carabao cup and FA Cup.
That was all before moving to Real Madrid, where he has added multiple La Liga and Champions League titles to his collection.
United, meanwhile, stuck with De Gea, who won the Premier League in his second season and went on to become one of the club’s most decorated goalkeepers.
The Spaniard spent 12 years at Old Trafford before being released in 2023.
That was despite winning the Premier League’s Golden Glove in his final season.
He is now playing for Fiorentina in Serie A, while United continue to deal with goalkeeping uncertainty after his departure.
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