David de Gea has already highlighted the importance of having competition for places in the goalkeeping department amid Martin Dubravka's arrival at Manchester United.
The Newcastle United shot-stopper, 33, joined the Reds on a season-long loan deal ahead of the transfer window slamming shut at 11pm on Thursday evening. United have wanted to add to their goalkeeping department throughout the summer and managed to complete the signing of Dubravka before the bell.
The Slovakian international, who joined Newcastle in 2018, was left out of the Magpies squad on Sunday for their 1-1 draw with Wolves as the deal had made progress. He is expected to replace Tom Heaton as United's second choice goalkeeper and United have an option to make the move permanent at the end of the season.
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Following Dean Henderson's loan move to Nottingham Forest earlier this summer, United have been in need of a new senior goalkeeper to come in and provide cover. Beyond De Gea and Heaton, the Reds only had a collection of youngsters to offer support.
Although Dubravka's arrival at Old Trafford is not likely to hinder De Gea's hopes of retaining the No.1 spot, it will keep him on his toes and provide him with further competition. That, however, is something the Spaniard believes is important.
"I've played here with many great goalkeepers and the fight between keepers we must always fight for our positions," said De Gea, speaking last year. "United want to be ambitious and bring in the best players then we must fight for our positions."
Dubravka will bring a wealth of experience and competition to Old Trafford, boasting more than 100 Premier League appearances during his career. He played a key role in the revival Newcastle experienced in the second half of last season, keeping eight clean sheets by the end of the campaign.
Meanwhile, this season represents a big one in the careers of both De Gea and Henderson. The former is out-of-contract next summer, but there is an option to extend his stay at Old Trafford for a further year.
Henderson still has the ambition of becoming United's first choice goalkeeper in the future, meaning he will be determined to make the most of his temporary loan stint at Forest. If he does impress, he could leave Ten Hag and the club with a difficult decision to make on De Gea, who turns 32 in November, at the end of this season.
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