It is no rumour that Real Madrid might try again to sign Manchester United first choice goalkeeper David De Gea.

The Spaniard could have been playing for the Los Blancos for two years running now had the last deal gone through. Real Madrid submitted their bid for the player but a clerical error stopped the deal from going through.

With the club set to compete in the transfer market after their embargo was lifted, Madrid would chase a deal with its former coach Jose Mourinho for De Gea. De Gea has established himself as one of the best hands in the game, and with age and looks by his side he makes a great buy for Madrid – a side known for their commercial genius.

Mourinho has his reputation at Old Trafford at stake so he would not sell without getting a capable replacement. We look at like keepers Mourinho can replace De Gea with.

Atletico Madrid’s Jan Oblak. The 24-year old played a crucial role in the La Liga side last year. He has high release clause but he is allegedly at the top of Mourinho’s list. He has been decent this year as well. If Oblak’s release clause of £85million cannot be negotiated to a mutually convenient price, there is the option of Sergio Romero who is the second choice.

Romero has been playing in the cups all season and his records are not bad. The confidence boost in being number one could help him perform better in the biggest of games.

Mourinho could do a player plus cash swap deal for Keylor Navas. The Costa Rica international was in the player plus deal proposed in 2015 and it could be maintained this time around.

AC Milan’s Gianluigi Donnarumma is another option. The 18-year old has remained the first choice for the past two years. He won’t come cheap for the Red Devils either.

In England, there’s Kasper Schmeichel, 30, of Leicester City or Mourinho could snap Vito Mannone’s replacement at Sunderland Jordan Pickford as a backup for Romero.

Jordan Pickford and Vito Mannone are the 2 main goal-keepers of Sunderland but this might be changing soon depending if whether or not Vito Mannone decides to remain with the Premier League club or make a move to another club.

The 28 year old Italian shot-stopper Vito Mannone has recently unveiled information about his current situation as the former Arsenal player said that one of the goals which he wants to achieve in his playing career is to perform in the Italian League, Serie A.

Fortunately for Mannone, a transfer to the Serie A is indeed very possible as there are Italian clubs interested in signing him.

When Vito Mannone was asked about his future and current situation in Sunderland, he replied by saying: “You never know in the future. I leave the doors always open. One day we are here, one there … I grew up as a child with the dream of Serie A, I never imagined pursuing this career.I’m here; I’m on the train, and traveling happily.”

‘’Before the opening of the market there were teams interested in me. After the injury I was not playing, I’m here now as a starter for Sunderland. Yes, there is interest from some clubs for January, but we will see what will happen. I want to definitely play.”

Genoa is one of the Serie A clubs that is believed to be interested in signing Vito Mannonehowever according to rumors; the 28 year old player is not going to be joining any Italian club at least not during the winter transfer window which will be shutting down on January 31 of 2017.

It is indeed possible that Mannone will fulfill his playing career goal of performing in the Serie A but if rumors are indeed true then he is not going to be moving away from Sunderland during this January transfer window but when it opens up again, there is a higher chance of it occurring.

English Championship side Aton Villa are reportedly keen on signing Vito Mannone from Sunderland, according to Sunderland Echo.

The report claims that Villa want to make the move when the transfer window reopens in January.

Mannone has lost his starting spot in the current set-up to Jordan Pickford in recent times. Reports in Italy say the shot stopper would exit the Stadium of Light when he gets a good offer.

Villa manager Steve Bruce seems like one who would want to add Mannone now, after he unsuccessfully tried to lure him to Hull City in 2012. Villa seems to have picked up after their poor start under former coach Roberto Di Matteo.

Mannone lost his spot to Pickford after his elbow injury early in the season. Pickford’s form seems to have cemented his spot in the team, forcing the Italian to look elsewhere for opportunities.

“In your career you always get tough times, there are ups and downs. The first challenge for me was coming back from my injury which was quite big. If you have a clear mind, I think you can always believe you can overcome the difficulties. And Jordan has done well. It’s not been down to me or my mistakes,” Mannone said.

The 28-year old player said he looked up to former Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann as his model particularly due to the keeper’s mental strength.

“I believe football is like a Jungle with a fight around every corner – and you just need to be ready for that. You’re walking with your elbows up high because you need to make space for yourself,” Mannoone added when he spoke at a special press conference with Sunderland University journalism students.

Mannone might be the replacement for Villa’s Pierluigi Gollini – the club’s summer signing.

Vito Mannone underwent a surgery back in August after he picked up an elbow ligament injury in a training session with the rest of his teammates in Sunderland.

After completing his operation, it was initially expected that his complete recovery would take a minimum of 3 months but the Italian goal-keeper is recovering at a faster pace and might be able to return to the pitch sooner than it was predicted.

The 28 year old goal-keeper has recently talked about how things have been going for him after sustaining this injury as he said:

‘’I am ahead of schedule so that’s a good thing it the injury is not as bad as expected at the beginning.It’s been very hard but I knew it would be a challenge right at the beginning when I got injured. It’s the first real injury I have had in my career. I have been lucky so far so I just have embrace the pain, face the challenge and come back stronger as soon as possible’’

“The medical team has been exceptional, and they have been with me since this problem happened. I’ve been working every day, double sessions. They have really worked me hard, and they’ve had the chance to do that because we have no game. I have been training like I never have done before! Hopefully this training will help me come back as strong as I possibly can.”

While Vito Mannone has been attempting to get back in playing form, Jordan Pickford has turned into the main shot-stopper of Sunderland and even though he has actually been having impressive performances it has not been enough to stop Sunderland from either losing or drawing matches at a consistent basis.

Out of the 9 opening matches Premier League matches of the season, Sunderland has not been able to win a single league game and they are currently positioned at the bottom of the top tier English League with 2 points being collected so far.

Maybe with the return of Vito Mannone can help Sunderland escape from the hole that they are pitted in and spark life back to the squad.

Sunderland were enormously interested in signing Norwich City goalkeeper John Ruddy in the final few days of the summer transfer window.

However, they were unable to sign the player from the Championship team and it was a major setback for David Moyes considering that he does not have a full complement of goalkeepers right now. The long-term injury to Vito Mannone has left the club in a difficult situation indeed. Jordan Pickford has currently been utilised as the first choice goalkeeper in the absence of Mannone.

Even though it is likely that Mannone will return to first-team action in the next couple of weeks, it leaves Sunderland in a precarious position. Despite having failed to bring in a replacement for Mannone during the summer transfer window, manager David Moyes urged that the club are still looking at options in this regard. Sunderland will now be able to complete only free transfers before the transfer window reopens in January. There is a possibility that Sunderland could apply for a special allowance from Premier League that would allow the club to sign a player on an emergency loan system. Sunderland have made an extremely poor start to the season under Moyes.

The manager is now coming under a lot of pressure to deliver the first victory of the season. “We have an injury to Vito Mannone, we want to give Jordan Pickford a chance to show what he can do, but we will definitely have to bring in cover or someone who can challenge Jordan,” said the manager ahead of the transfer window’s final few hours. After having only narrowly avoided relegation in the last couple of years, the club are in danger of being the back into the Championship if they do not start the season well. Sunderland have been in the Premier league for more than five years.

The 28 year old Italian shot-stopper of Sunderland, Vito Mannone has been performing with the Premier League club since July of 2013 and in his debut season with them, he managed to make 29 appearances as he was the main goal-keeper of the team but Vito Mannone’s influence in Sunderland started to decrease as he started to get more time on the sidelines during the 2014-15 season as he was being overlooked by CostelPantilimon.

Vito Mannone went from making 29 appearances to only 10 and this sudden drop of importance in the team even made the Italian player start thinking about making a switch of clubs

“I finished the season well last year, and kind of turned the corner from Christmas onwards.Now I would like some continuity, and to work as hard as I can to improve myself. That’s my aim.Did I think I might have to leave? Yeah, yeah. Obviously while I was training well and not getting the chances, I was thinking that maybe I need to move on.The gaffer came in, Sam, and said to me ‘Keep going because you may have a chance’, and once he gave me it that was the turning point for me.” Sunderland’s Vito Mannone said as he spoke about his situation in the club and how things have been going for him in the past few years.

There is a breath of fresh air wavering around Sunderland as the club has a new manager with David Moyes taking charge of the club and Vito Mannone recently signed a contract extension with Sunderland which will be keeping him with the club at least until July of 2018.

This contract extension is proof that the Italian goal-keeper is in the plans of David Moyes and this is great news for Vito Mannone as he is eager to take back the main shot-stopper role in Sunderland but he will face competition from CostelPantilimon as he also wants to snatch that spot.

Hardly anyone would have been courageous enough to put money on Italy for them to reach Euro Round of 8 and that too by surpassing Spain.

In fact in the views of the pundits, Italy never had been to a big competition with such an average squad.

You probably could not totally disagree to it even as an Italy supporter to be honest because of the lack of the impact players that the squad actually had.

There was no extraordinary potential in the offensive line or at the centre of the pitch (barring Daniele De Rossi who is in his thirties).

Eder, maybe a few would argue, is not a bad player, but, is he breath-taking or even the other two or three strikers? No.

With enormous experience lying in the defence and the goal, those two departments were in safe hands yes, but, the games are not won solely with the backline solidity, are they?
However, what Italy had got to make up for all the lacking was the calmness of the players, and the shrewdness of the head coach.

Generally, teams play to their strengths, but, Italy played to its weakness if you can say so.
In spite of not being powerful enough attackingly, they still chose to invade the opponents rather than just be in their own half making the clearances and hoping to be lucky.

Spain would not have foreseen such approach from Italy at all. It was all attacking play from the Blues catching the opposition unprepared for that.

You can’t help imagining what this Italian team could have done with a highly skilled striker upfront and that’s something the new management can look at. Maybe having Balotelli back is the solution. One last chance, who knows?

Italian player, Vito Mannone, currently with English Premier League side Sunderland is set to get his contract extended at the club, according to latest reports.

The agent of the player, Roberto de Fanti, told reporters that the club has opened discussions regarding the future of Mannone.

The 28-year old player will enter the final year of his current deal with the club, and the club says it would extend the contract. Mannone reestablished himself as the club’s first choice goalkeeper back from Costel Pantilimon last season. He was brilliant as he helped keep the dream of top flight football alive.

De Fanti, who was the director of football at the Stadium of Light for seven months in 2013, and now Mannone’s agent said:

“He has a year left on his contract and he would be happy to stay. We hope to find a solution, otherwise we will evaluate. Today, however, his future, I see it in England.”

De Fanti made the announcement in Italy at an interview with Tutto Mercato. He also confirmed that Fabio Borini will also remain at the club. De Fanti also represents Borini who joined from Liverpool on a permanent deal in the last campaign. There were reports that the player could move to another club after his below par performance, after his deal was finally made permanent. He was better in the previous two seasons where he played on loan from Anfield, though he was still a regular, his performance didn’t meet previous levels.

There were speculations that both player could return to the Serie A but the in the interview, De Fanti killed such as he said both Italians were pleased to continue in the Premier League. He claimed both players saw Italy as home but would continue playing in “the best league.”

By the virtue of a late penalty which was awarded to them in the stoppage time, the Black Cats claimed a point at the Britannia Stadium and saved themselves from a potentially relegation blow.

But, the manager Sam Allardyce was not thankful to the referee and instead lashed out at him for some of the incorrect calls earlier which had got Sunderland at a point of losing the game.

With two mightier teams lined up next, it’s this Stoke visit which Sunderland had to make the most of and Allardyce believes three points could have come easy if the officiating had been done correctly.

According to Allardyce, the Potters should not have had the lead in the first place because the goal which got them up, it was the result of a foul which wasn’t picked by the gentlemen involved in the officiating of the game.

For Allardyce, it was the linesman who was more at fault on that occasion because the angle from which he was watching the action, it was a far superior angle in comparison to the referee and thus, it was his duty to pick it up and convey it to the referee to make sure the decision is correct.

The Black Cats’ boss also rued not having the penalty at the half an hour mark when Geoff Cameron used the hand to make contact with the ball.

It was more frustrating for Allardyce because something like that was overlooked by the referee the previous week too during the goalless draw against the Gunners at the Stadium of Light.

This draw, nevertheless, has kept Sunderland above the red area, but, it’s the Chelsea game, on 7th of May, which would go a long way in deciding their fate.

Throughout this entire Premier League season, Sunderland has been floating around the bottom spots of the English league and is at risk of being relegated to the English Championship League.

Even though Sunderland are struggling just to survive in the top tier English league, Sunderland actually has a strong goalkeeping department with Vito Mannone being their star player in this position and who was named as the best player of Sunderland during the 2013-14 season on the Yacht Charter Greece website. Jordan Pickford is another top class performer who serves as a shot-stopper and has turned into a threat of becoming the next main goal-keeper of the club.

Jordan Pickford is a 21 year old English goal-keeper who is currently playing for England’s U-21.
Vito Mannone is well aware of the fact that Pickford has what it takes to become the new star shot-stopper of Sunderland but even with the arrival of this young prospect, Mannone is not really concerned about the possibility of being dropped, the Italian player just wants to focus on keeping Sunderland alive in the Premier League and he is seeing Pickford as something that can motivate him on getting even better.

“It’s good to make the goalkeeper work. At any club I’ve been, there have been capable keepers around me. But I’m focused on me, really. Jordan has got a big future, but I want to help the team and club stay in the Premier League.’’ Sunderland’s Vito Mannone said as he stated what his objectives are for this season.

One of the things that has helped Vito Mannone in regaining his confidence and form was the departure of Costel Pantilimon who joined Watford on January 19 of 2016 and this has allowed Mannone on snatching the goalkeeping position of Sunderland as well as going on to become the undisputed shot-stopper of the Premier League outfit.