Manchester United completed the signing of Martin Dúbravka on deadline day as the goalkeeper arrived at Old Trafford on a season-long loan deal from Newcastle United.
Prior to his arrival, the Red Devils looked at a few other players, including Eintracht Frankfurt’s Kevin Trapp and Watford’s Daniel Bachmann.
On August 25th, Trapp confirmed he held talks with Manchester United before deciding to continue with the Bundesliga side. The Watford keeper has joined Trapp in confirming an approach from Erik ten Hag’s side for his signature.
LAOLA1 interviewed the Austria international and he said the Premier League side held discussions with both him and the Hornets to secure his services.
“There have been talks with Manchester United. That’s no secret. Of course, it’s great to be associated with such a club. It was also serious. There were negotiations between the clubs and of course between me and the clubs,” he said.
“In the end, however, I’m still a Watford player and I’m very happy about it. Because I play here regularly, bring in my performances and hopefully can play a role in the national team again.”
The 28-year-old is the first-choice keeper for Watford this campaign, something he would not have been able to achieve at Old Trafford. When asked whether regular game time played a role in not joining Manchester United, the custodian explained: “If I had gone to Man United, then I would of course have been number two.”
“That’s quite clear because in David de Gea they have a top goalkeeper who has been one of the best, if not the best, goalkeeper in the Premier League over the last ten years.
“Of course, that doesn’t mean I would never have played if I went there. One does not exclude the other, because every goalkeeper can be replaced – and De Gea has also had a low before, during which he did not play for a while. That means: I would not have gone to Manchester United just to sit on the bench. I would have come to training every day and tried to convince the coach to let me play. That’s very clear.”
The goalkeeper is not disappointed his move to Manchester didn’t take shape.
“Still, I’m glad it turned out the way it did for me. I just want to play football, that’s what I live for. I feel very comfortable and that is reflected on the pitch,” Bachmann explained.
He was also quizzed if it was ultimately his or the club’s decision not to go to Manchester United. Responding to that, the Austrian said: “Both sides. In the end, the famous overall package didn’t fit.
“It went back and forth for a relatively long time. The first contact was made at the end of May, it lasted until mid-July. It wasn’t like a club or I said no, you just couldn’t agree on anything. That happens in football.”
