Erik ten Hag decision might have just saved Manchester United at least £5m

Erik ten Hag's subtle smile after Manchester United's opening goal of their US tour said a lot.

The boss' smile was aimed at Tom Heaton in the United goal. It was his long-range distribution when Arsenal's forwards pressed which began the move.

Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes combined to do the rest but Ten Hag was undoubtedly pleased to see his goalkeeper pick out a teammate in the build-up to the opening goal. For all of David de Gea's wonderful saves, he lacked the ability to start counter-attacks and struggled with distribution in general.

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However, Heaton did not sacrifice his other goalkeeping duties just to prove he could play to Ten Hag's style. At 0-0, the former Burnley 'keeper produced an outstanding double save to keep the Gunners at bay.

Heaton looked like a player who was clearly comfortable with what his manager is asking of him and this now gives Ten Hag plenty of food for thought. MEN Sport understands United are open to signing two 'keepers this summer.

With Andre Onana already through the door, the Reds have taken an interest in Urawa Red Diamonds' Zion Suzuki as they search for Onana's back-up, a task that will become even more important should Dean Henderson complete his expected move to Nottingham Forest. However, on Saturday's showing, United already have a second-choice goalkeeper in their squad.

37-year-old Heaton has shown himself to be a highly capable goalkeeper at this level and clearly has the quality to fill in for Onana in cup matches or if he suffers an injury. With the budget tight, even