Up until yesterday, almost nobody knew who Zion Suzuki was. Man Utd’s search for a goalkeeper following David De Gea’s contract expiration continues. From Inter’s Onana to Porto’s Diogo Costa, Manchester United has been linked to several goalkeepers over the past few weeks.
De Gea’s form over the past few years has been questionable. The Spaniard has made some game-deciding mistakes in the past few seasons, and it became increasingly apparent that he was no longer the world-class keeper he once was. His inability to play from the back as part of modern football has pretty much made him a liability to United.
Dean Henderson also wants a move away from United after spending most of his United career on loan at other clubs. While it is almost certain that United will land their target in the goalkeeping area before the transfer window’s end, let’s look at their latest potential prospect Zion Suzuki.
Zion Suzuki: Early Days, Bio
Zion Suzuki is a 20-year-old Japanese goalkeeper born in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States. The 6’3 goalkeeper was born to a Ghanaian father and a Japanese mother. The family moved back to Japan when Suzuki was still little and settled in Saitama Prefecture, where the young goalkeeper grew up.
He joined the youth setup of Urawa Red Diamonds, one of Japan’s most successful football clubs in the J1 League. He signed his professional contract with the club in 2018 at just 16 years and five months, making him the youngest player to sign a professional contract in the club’s history.
However, Suzuki has only made eight appearances for the club since 2019 despite signing a professional contract at a young age. He has mostly been an understudy for the first-choice goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa.
Manchester United Linked with Suzuki Amid Onana Speculation
Manchester United have tabled two bids for Inter’s Andre Onana – both considered too low by Inter Milan. United will go for the third time as Ten Hag targets a goalkeeper comfortable with the ball at his feet. A bid in the region of €60 million may be enough to convince Inter to sell their star man.
Rumors of United’s shock move for Zion Suzuki don’t make much sense at this point. At 20, with only eight senior appearances to his name, Suzuki is probably not ready to play for one of the biggest clubs in England. A switch to Old Trafford from the Japanese league may be too much for Suzuki to handle at this point in his career.
Should United sign Suzuki as an understudy to Onana? Share your opinion with us!
