Manchester United's interest in a new goalkeeper has been well-documented considering the ongoing uncertainty surrounding David de Gea.
Inter Milan's Andre Onana has been identified as Erik ten Hag's top target in the summer transfer window should De Gea not re-sign. MEN Sport understands extensive talks are ongoing with the Cameroonian shot stopper who would no doubt be first choice should he sign.
What came as more of a surprise was United's interest in Urawa Red Diamonds' reserve 'keeper Zion Suzuki. This year, the 20-year-old has made five J-League Cup appearances but has not featured in any other competitions for the AFC Champions League winners.
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With little known about Suzuki, MEN Sport has rounded up the detail on the stopper.
Who is he?
Suzuki was born in Little Rock, Arkansas in August 2002 but left America for Japan as a child. In February 2019, he made the jump from Urawa Red Diamonds' academy to the first team but found playing time hard to come by.
After making his debut against Vegalta Sendai in May 2021, Suzuki has made 27 further appearances for the club. This season he has only featured in the J-League Cup. In those five appearances, Suzuki kept two clean sheets and averaged 1.8 saves per 90 minutes, conceding only three goals. Urawa Reds are one of the strongest teams in Japan so the 20-year-old will have been well protected.
Suzuki also prefers to catch rather than punch the ball with a 57.1 per cent catch success rate in his cup appearances compared to 14.3 per cent punch success rate. Over the course of his career, Suzuki has made eight J-League appearances., registering a 79 per cent save percentage and conceding on average a goal per game.
He has made an impact with Japan's youth set-up and featured at the U20 World Cup in 2019. He has since made his senior debut, featuring in the East Asian Championships in the 2021/22 season . He kept a clean sheet in a 6-0 win over Hong Kong in the opening group stage match. He is currently a member of the U21 national team.
What is his playing style?
Suzuki has been noted for his ability to distribute from the back, something Ten Hag has been searching for. In a recent U22 fixture for Japan against the Netherlands, Suzuki made a string of impressive stops to keep the Dutch at bay. He is no stranger to leaving his box and playing the sweeper keeper role, which is highly sought after in modern day goalkeeping.
What have people said about him?
Urawa Reds' manager Maciej Skorza said in February: "The Reds have four very interesting goalkeepers. Among them, Shusaku (Nishikawa) and Zion are of a very high level. I think Zion is taller than Shusaku, and I think he’s a young player with a lot of future potential."
Current manager of the Japanese national team Hajime Moriyasu has also spoken highly of the United target. Ahead of his appearance at the East Asian Championship, he said: "He showed high-level performances in the Asian Champions League and that's why I called him up.
"He's the second 'keeper at Urawa in that he hasn't been able to earn his starts there but then again it wouldn't be strange for Shusaku to play for the national team. Urawa has two national team calibre players and from them I chose to call-up Zion Suzuki."
How do United know about him?
Reports suggest United have been monitoring Suzuki since 2017 and MEN Sport understands the Reds have met with his agent to discuss a move to Old Trafford. It is also understood Suzuki has been looking to move to a Belgium team to gain further experience.
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