Fabrizio Romano says La Liga giants are in talks to extend reported Manchester United target's contract

Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak, who has been linked with Manchester United, is in talks with his club regarding a contract extension, according to acclaimed transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Oblak, 29, has established himself as one of the best shot-stoppers in the world since arriving from Benfica in the summer of 2014. He has won four trophies with the Rojiblancos, including the 2020-21 La Liga and 2017-18 UEFA Europa League titles.

A five-time winner of the prestigious La Liga Zamora Trophy, the Slovenian is renowned for his quick reflexes, positional awareness and ball-playing prowess. He has registered 178 clean sheets in 362 games for Los Colchoneros, conceding 277 goals.

In his column for Caught Offside, Romano shed light on Oblak's situation at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. He wrote:

"Atletico Madrid have been working to extend Oblak's contract for a long time now. During the summer transfer window, talks were very advanced, so Atletico Madrid remain optimistic."

He added:

"We will see how contract talks go in the near future but for now, there is nothing advanced or concrete with other clubs."

After a below-par 2021-22 campaign, Oblak has opened the new season on a better note. He has registered three clean sheets in eight games across competitions.

Manchester United, meanwhile, are hoping to replace David de Gea with Oblak next summer, as per Jeunes Footeux. With De Gea's contract set to expire next summer, new Red Devils manager Erik ten Hag is in pursuit of a first-choice goalkeeper.

De Gea, who arrived from Atletico Madrid in 2011, has been a mainstay at Old Trafford for more than a decade. He has registered 168 clean sheets in 496 games across competitions, winning seven trophies.

Manchester United are sixth in the Premier League standings with 12 points from seven games. They will travel to Omonia in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday (October 6).

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David de Gea's Manchester United career to end soon, says Gary Neville

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville said on the Gary Neville Podcast that David de Gea is expected to be offloaded due to Erik ten Hag's tactical demands. He said:

"The goalkeeper needs to be brilliant on the ball, and I suspect that with David de Gea, his career at Manchester United is probably going to be short-lived under Erik ten Hag."

He added:

"Because he's going to be absolutely adamant that his philosophy of playing out from the back, playing through midfield, playing those little risky passes that we see City and Ederson do all the time is something that I think he's striving for and wants to get to."

United have won four of their last five league games under Ten Hag,