Manchester United to battle Real Madrid for former Chelsea star: Reports

Manchester United are reportedly set to face competition from Real Madrid in their ongoing pursuit of ex-Chelsea goalkeeper Marcin Bulka.

Bulka, who represented Chelsea's youth teams for three years before joining Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2019, has been in great form this season. The 24-year-old has recorded an impressive 15 shutouts in 30 outings for OGC Nice, conceding 26 goals along the way.

Hence, according to Fichajes.net, Bulka has recently caught the attention of a host of European clubs. Manchester United and Real Madrid are both said to be the top potential suitors for the Poland international.

Manchester United, who have conceded 62 goals in 40 outings this campaign, are reportedly unconvinced with summer signing Andre Onana's performances. On the other hand, Real Madrid are looking for a potential successor for Thibaut Courtois, who will turn 32 this year.

Bulka, who moved to Nice from PSG for close to £2 million in 2022, has a contract until June 2026 at his current club. His services could prove to be costly should he finish the campaign on a high note with Nice.

Chelsea great opens up on battles with ex-Manchester United & Real Madrid attacker

After recently being inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame, Chelsea great Ashley Cole named Al-Nassr star Cristiano Ronaldo as his toughest opponent. He said (h/t GOAL):

"Over the years, Cristiano Ronaldo and I had some mighty battles and we have a mutual respect for each other. he came to the Premier League as a little bit of an unknown, but he soon understood what it took to be a top player. He was willing to learn and adapt. He waned to be the best player in the world and became a machine."

Cole, who featured for Chelsea between 2006 and 2014, concluded:

"He had everything. He could dribble, he could sprint behind, he could leap and jump and head a ball, he could go inside, he could go outside. So, I say he always gave me nightmares, but you try to work each other out and we got the best of each other at times. Whenever I hear his name or see his face, I always think of when he made me do the splits [in the 2003-04 season]!"

During his playing days, Cole faced the ex-Manchester United forward 14 times as an opponent. He won just three outings, once with Arsenal and twice with Chelsea, and lost eight times against the Portuguese.

Ronaldo, who left United to join Real Madrid in 2009, is currently relishing a stellar season at Al-Nassr. The 39-year-old has scored 30 goals and laid out 11 assists in 33 matches across competitions for his team.