Manchester United have long had problems in the goalkeeping department, and signed Senne Lammens on deadline day in a bid to find a solution.
The 23-year-old had shone at Royal Antwerp but is unproven at the top level and had to wait until the Sunderland game earlier this month for his debut.
The Belgian impressed and kept a clean sheet against the Black Cats, but remains raw and fans should be patient as he adapts to life at Old Trafford.
Possible January transfer activity
While he was waiting for his first match, The Peoples Person asked its readers what United should do if Lammens doesn’t nail down the starting spot by the time the January window rolls around.
The hope, of course, is that the youngster builds on his strong debut and the club can focus on other areas – hopefully the midfield.
But should there still be work to do in that position two options proved popular, with some fans preferring a new signing and others backing the recall of an on-loan shotstopper.
Martinez signing
Coming out on top, 37% of readers said they would like to see the Red Devils revive their interest in Aston Villa’s Emi Martinez should Lammens not be nailed on by January.
The 33-year-old was heavily linked with an Old Trafford switch during the tail end of the summer window, and was widely believed to be desperate to make the move.
Ultimately United opted to go for a promising option ten years his junior, but the World Cup winner could be a good quick-fix option should there still be a question mark between the posts in a few months’ time.
Another name bandied about in United’s hunt for a goalkeeper was AC Milan’s Mike Maignan and 11% of fans would plump for him in January, while 9% believe the club should sign someone else.
Recall Radek Vitek
Eyebrows were raised when United sanctioned a loan exit for Radek Vitek in the summer, with the exciting Czech looking ready for at least a spot in the first-team setup.
The 21-year-old joined Championship side Bristol City where he has made a fantastic start to life in the West Country.
Recalling Vitek was the second most popular option in the poll, with 33% of readers wanting to see him given a chance if Lammens isn’t up to speed in time.
United’s other on-loan senior goalkeeper, Andre Onana, has been a huge hit at Trabzonspor but only 5% of fans would be happy to see him return.
Giving Altay Bayindir, who stole Onana’s starting spot but did little to show he deserved to keep it, was an equally unpopular option with only 5% of readers keen to see it happen.
Featured image Matt McNulty via Getty Images
The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
Joe Ponting
Joe has spent more than half his life writing about football and all of it following United. As a child he told a doctor his name was ‘Paul Scholes’, but could never pick a pass like him no matter how much he tried. He cut his teeth working in print media for local newspapers and entered football journalism covering the grassroots game for the Non-League Paper. Here he achieved a career high, interviewing United legend Sir Bobby Charlton to get his views on the lower echelons of the football pyramid. To kill time during international breaks Joe writes album reviews and has strong views on post punk for Plus One Magazine.
