The word from Manchester United is they have "tactical options" for the goalkeeper situation this summer and "strategic options" for next season.
That is not going to wash with supporters. There is general disbelief at the willingness to re-sign David de Gea when the first pre-season friendly is next week. As Tony Soprano once said, "More is lost by indecision than the wrong decision."
United undermined De Gea's role during discussions over a renewal and opted against triggering the one-year extension as his salary would have risen. If you are attempting to reduce a player's worth, they are not much of an asset.
For most of this year, the argument for retaining De Gea was there was not a standout replacement and it would be inconvenient to buy a striker and a 'keeper in the same summer. Costly, too, if your surname is Glazer.
Also read: Onana is United's prime goalkeeper target
Yet the same football club the Glazers own just negotiated a £60million deal for an attacking midfielder. Mason Mount is a worthy addition to an area that required an upgrade and he was attainable early in the transfer window.
Still, the two most important positions in a team are at opposite ends of its spine. United do not have a goalkeeper or a goalscorer and their opening Premier League fixture is in 40 days.
As stated at the time, the egregious ejection from the Europa League by Sevilla was a blessing. There was a shift in De Gea's position from figures at United during last season's run-in and all three goals in the Estadio Ramon Sanchez-Piizjuan exposed his shortcomings: distribution, set-pieces and sweeping.
Then he dropped two dollys against West Ham and Manchester City. A week later, Andre Onana had the exposure of a Champions League final against City.
That has elevated Andre Onana to the top of United's list for a new goalie. Onana ticks plenty of boxes for Erik ten Hag and he is one former player there should be few misgivings about.
Onana has Champions League semi-final and final pedigree, as well as experience in the footballing hotbeds of Amsterdam and Milan. The Uefa technical report for the Champions League final said: "The evolution of the goalkeeper goes on with Inter’s André Onana, less a sweeper-keeper than a holding midfielder.
"Goalkeepers are increasingly taking higher positions as they help make the play and Onana embodied this shift in the final – one of five matches in Inter’s campaign in which he completed 30 or more passes."
Onana's passing angles were worthy of a deep-lying midfielder and he was the antithesis of De Gea's statuesque display in the FA Cup final. On the eve of City's narrow win in Istanbul, Pep Guardiola said: "Normally, teams have great keepers, but [Onana] is exceptional with his feet.”
One of the prime factors that separate the good from the great in football is ruthlessness. Under Guardiola, City do not allow players to outstay their welcome (eg. Claudio Bravo). United do (eg. De Gea).
If United had owners invested in the club then supporters could confidently expect Onana lining up at the opposite end to a stellar striker against Wolves on August 14. Instead, there is a possible scenario where they end up with only one of them.
Onana is eminently gettable. Sell Dean Henderson and bid farewell to De Gea and United bank the best part of £30m for the former and save around £390,000 in wages on the pair. That frees up funds for Onana with Inter Milan's finances so dire they posted losses of almost £340m for the last two years.
Instead, United are even pussyfooting over Henderson, not shy in expressing his antipathy towards the club's treatment of him. It has been suggested United want to speak to Henderson to gauge whether he wants to stay or go. They needn't waste their time: he wants to go.
You can imagine what Henderson makes of United's receptiveness to renegotiating with De Gea whilst exploring external options for a new No.1. Even if he wanted to stay, United don't want him as their No.1.
Onana is the most suitable option and has emerged as an obvious heir to De Gea. United need a new face in goal next season, though it does not necessarily have to be a show-stopper.
Brentford and Brighton, two of the best-run clubs in the country, have already done what United should have done and bought new goalkeepers in anticipation of 'keepers leaving.
Bart Verbruggen, on United's radar, has joined Brighton for £16.3m and Brentford recruited Mark Flekken for £11m. They are replacements for Robert Sanchez and David Raya - the duo who ousted De Gea from the Spain squad.
That is tactical and strategic.
