FC Groningen have signed the 25-year-old on loan from Fortuna, the club Verrips joined temporarily from United last season. The loan switch contained a deal converting him to a permanent this summer – but Sittard has loaned the Dutch stopper to Groningen, who also have a buy option in the deal at the end of next season.
Verrips played just three times for United last season – conceding four goals in one game at West Brom – before joining Sittard.
Despite early optimism from both sides about the deal, Verrips has only featured between Sittard’s posts twice – in 2-1 defeats to AZ Alkmaar and RKC Waalwijk – after contracting Covid-19 and lost his place to rival goalkeeper Yanick van Osch.
“We assessed last season and looked at positions where we think we can get even stronger,” Groningen technical director Mark-Jan Fledderus said of Verrips’ decision.
“When Michael appeared on our radar as an option, we jumped in.
“We have been given the option of renting it for next season, with an option to buy. The perfect build for us in this situation.
“We can see Michael hard at work for a season alongside the development of our other goalkeepers.
“There will be open competition for the position under the bar. The big thing for us as a club is that in this situation we have full control over our goalkeepers within the first selection.
“We have all the tools in our hands to be able to make choices next season and the season after. Michael is tall and looks great.
“He’s a real ‘man’, I think. We were looking for and also looking for this type of player. We have a lot of very talented young players, but sometimes we lack body and experience.
“Michael is a personality and we can use him well in our current squad. We wish him every success at FC Groningen.”
While United have yet to publicly announce Verrips’ final departure, Sittard has confirmed the goalkeeper signed a contract until 2025 this summer before returning on loan.
The goalkeeper has previously expressed frustration at not featuring more for United, who he joined under unusual circumstances in 2019 after having his contract with KV Mechelen revoked following a match-fixing investigation in the club, and admitted that his role as an understudy. to Dean Henderson, then Aaron Ramsdale left him “completely depressed”.
Although the goalkeeper’s move to United was initially reported as a free transfer, Mechelen complained to FIFA about Verrips’ conduct and later accused their former player of ‘unilaterally breaching’ his contract with them.
Belgian media later reported that United had paid an undisclosed transfer fee to settle the dispute over Verrips, who made his only league appearance for the Blades in that 4-0 hammering at West Brom.
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Source: www.thestar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-06-13 04:00:00
