Former Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster has revealed the club has “one of the best in the business” in their transfer team.
Manchester United’s transfer team has undergone a huge overhaul since Sir Jim Ratcliffe purchased a minority stake in the club.
It was initially headed up by Dan Ashworth, but he was quickly dismissed for a hefty fee, with Jason Wilcox taking his spot as Director of Football and Christopher Vivell becoming Head of Recruitment.
The new transfer team have put a new focus on signing young players, which was continued during the summer window. Diego Leon (18) joined from Paraguay, and Senne Lammens (23) signed from Royal Antwerp, with the latter immediately impressing and displacing Altay Bayindir.
While the majority of the recruitment staff is new, some remain from previous regimes. One crucial staff member’s time at the club dates back to Sir Alex Ferguson’s tenure at the club, and his role has become key once again.
Foster reveals Coton’s importance
Tony Coton was a goalkeeper coach at Old Trafford from 1997 to 2007, but was forced to step down from the position after a knee injury. He then became a scout, focusing on goalkeeping additions. Coton played a key role in bringing David de Gea to the club in 2011.
After spells as chief scout at Wigan Athletic and Bolton Wanderers, as well as a period at Aston Villa, Coton re-joined United in 2020. Reports state he wasn’t consulted in Andre Onana’s signing, but he played a key role in Lammens’ move from Royal Antwerp.
Speaking on the Inside Carrington podcast, Ben Foster revealed Coton also played a role in his signing, before sharing his thoughts on the United scout. “TC was probably the guy that scouted me, the main guy that scouted me, and the same for Senne [Lammens] as well.
“We both owe a lot to him, the great TC. He was actually my coach when I signed for United, at the time, so I get to work with him, I got to learn from him. He’s one of the best in the business, he really is.”
Coton must look at academy goalkeepers
Coton is clearly crucial to United’s goalkeeper scouting, likely because of his knowledge of the position, compared to a regular scout, who has to look at the entire pitch.
While Lammens has had a brilliant start to his United career, the future of the goalkeeping position could be very interesting at Old Trafford. Elyh Harrison and Radek Vitek have both been touted for big things, as has Darlington Osuchukwu.
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Harrison and Vitek are both on loan at EFL clubs, with the latter shining in the Championship for Bristol City. Reports have stated that Vitek could compete with Lammens next season, but that decision must be made by Coton.
If the United scout sees Vitek as ready, then he should be given the chance to join the senior squad, but if he doesn’t, then he should be moved on from the club and be given the chance to perform elsewhere, like James Trafford at Manchester City, before they re-purchased him in the summer.
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