He turned them down once. He turned them down twice. The third approach might be the one that actually works.

Manchester United are set to launch a formal move for Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki this summer, according to reports, with the 23-year-old Japan international having established himself as one of the most impressive young goalkeepers in Serie A and a certain starter for Japan at the World Cup in North America this summer.

United’s interest in Suzuki is not new. The club tracked him during his time at Urawa Red Diamonds and attempted to bring him to Old Trafford in 2023, only for the deal to collapse when Suzuki decided he did not want to join as backup to what would become Andre Onana. He chose instead to move to Belgian side Sint-Truiden for regular football, a decision that in hindsight looks extremely shrewd. He progressed to Parma in Serie A last summer and has spent this campaign proving he belongs at the highest level.

With both Onana, currently on loan at Trabzonspor, and Altay Bayindir expected to leave Manchester United at the end of the season, the club need a goalkeeper to compete with first choice Senne Lammens. Suzuki fits that profile precisely.

Zion Suzuki’s journey from rejected Man United move to Serie A

When Suzuki turned down United three years ago, he was an unproven goalkeeper in the J-League who felt he needed game time rather than a prestigious squad role. The decision was questioned at the time but has been validated entirely by what followed. Sint-Truiden gave him the platform he needed, his performances there earned him a move to Parma in Serie A, and this season he has made 16 top-flight appearances and kept four clean sheets in a Parma side that has not had an easy campaign.

He has admitted openly that he loves the Premier League, telling reporters: “I don’t know if I will remain at Parma, nobody knows my future right now. My focus now is only on Parma, that’s all I know.” That last statement was diplomatically cautious, but the earlier admission about his admiration for English football is the more telling detail for any club looking to sign him this summer.

Why Zion Suzuki suits Manchester United’s current goalkeeper situation

Man United need depth behind Lammens, and they need a goalkeeper with genuine ambition and quality rather than a journeyman filling a squad spot. Suzuki’s profile is the right one: young, World Cup-bound, performing consistently in Serie A and hungry to prove himself at a higher level than he has reached so far. He has not yet experienced Premier League football, which is the one obvious argument against the move, but United’s scouts have watched him more closely than any other club across this period and clearly believe the step up is within his capabilities.

The World Cup this summer will give Suzuki a significant platform to demonstrate his quality in front of the world, and any move is likely to be agreed before the tournament begins in order to give both player and club clarity heading into the new season.