Manchester United are reportedly ramping up their search for a new goalkeeper, with John Victor now emerging as a leading candidate to step in.
The urgency comes after Andre Onana suffered a hamstring injury, which could keep him out for four to six weeks. This setback means the Cameroonian might miss the entire pre-season and is now a doubt for United’s Premier League opener against Arsenal on August 17.
While Onana has had a mixed run of form over the past two seasons, manager Ruben Amorim and his team were reportedly prepared to stick with him as the number one choice. However, this fresh injury concern might force the INEOS leadership to consider bringing in reinforcements, even if Onana only misses a few matches.
John Victor, currently at Botafogo, has now been identified as a possible stand-in. Reports from Goal Brazil, cited by Centre Devils, suggest that Manchester United are preparing to push harder for his signature. Botafogo, anticipating his likely exit this summer, are already searching for a new goalkeeper—Matheus Mendes of Atlético-MG, currently on loan at América-MG, is reportedly on their radar.
John’s journey to the spotlight hasn’t been straightforward. He began his career at Santos but failed to make a lasting impression. He later went on loan to Internacional and Real Valladolid before making a permanent switch to Botafogo in 2023 for around £1 million. Since joining, the 29-year-old has seen his stock rise sharply, with Transfermarkt now valuing him at over €8 million.
This season alone, he’s played 28 matches, notching 10 clean sheets and conceding 25 goals. His current deal with Botafogo runs through December 2028. Although interest in him has picked up recently, it’s believed that United have had their eye on him since at least January.
