Manchester United have reached an agreement to sign Senne Lammens with the Royal Antwerp goalkeeper travelling to Old Trafford to complete the move, according to David Ornstein and Fabrizio Romano.
The hunt for a goalkeeper pays off
In the final days of the summer window, the Red Devils have been pushing to sign a new goalkeeper after the error-strewn displays of both of Ruben Amorim’s senior options, Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir.
But with over £200 million already spent on upgrading the misfiring frontline, with deals already struck for Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, there has been limited financial flexibility to also secure a new shot stopper.
This led United to a protracted pursuit of Lammens, 23, with Antwerp believed to be demanding €25 million – a club record fee for the Belgian side – to part ways with their number one, while United hoped to agree a cheaper deal.
As an alternative, United have also launched a pursuit of Emiliano Martinez, who they previously tried to sign on loan earlier in the summer.
The Argentina international immediately communicated his wish to Aston Villa to make the switch to Old Trafford and negotiations have been ongoing for both Lammens and Martinez concurrently.
Lammens over Martinez
United have now settled on their first-choice target, however, with Ornstein revealing a five-year deal has been agreed with Lammens over a move worth “€21m plus add-ons.”
🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Manchester United reach total agreement with Royal Antwerp to sign Senne Lammens. Deal for 23yo #RoyalAntwerp goalkeeper worth €21m + add-ons. No sell-on. 5yr terms. Belgium int’l flying in to complete #MUFC #DeadlineDay move @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/8GNsRvaqMF
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) September 1, 2025
Tweet: “EXCLUSIVE: Manchester United reach total agreement with Royal Antwerp to sign Senne Lammens. Deal for 23yo #RoyalAntwerp goalkeeper worth €21m + add-ons. No sell-on. 5yr terms. Belgium int’l flying in to complete #MUFC #DeadlineDay move @TheAthleticFC.”
This has been corroborated by Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who confirms the “€21m plus add-ons deal” with an “agreement in place for Belgian goalkeeper to join Manchester United immediately.”
🚨🔴 BREAKING: Manchester United agree €21m plus add-ons deal with Royal Antwerp for Senne Lammens, here we go!
Agreement in place for Belgian GK to join #MUFC immediately, deal set to be sealed after medical.
Deal also included add-ons, as @David_Ornstein reports. pic.twitter.com/dLCbHqU4sp
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 1, 2025
Tweet: “BREAKING: Manchester United agree €21m plus add-ons deal with Royal Antwerp for Senne Lammens, here we go! Agreement in place for Belgian GK to join #MUFC immediately, deal set to be sealed after medical. Deal also included add-ons, as @David_Ornstein reports.”
It would have been disastrous for United to have finished the summer without securing an upgrade on Bayindir and Onana – and Lammens constitutes exactly that after a superb campaign for Antwerp last season.
He excels in areas which have plagued both of United’s goalkeepers – dealing with crosses and set-pieces – indicating a major weakness for the Red Devils has now been fixed, while also offering brilliant distribution with his feet and hands.
The Belgian was also being chased by both Manchester City and Inter Milan earlier in the summer – a testament to his quality and burgeoning reputation across Europe. But it is the Red Devils, at the death, who have won the race for the highly-regarded goalkeeper.
The fact that they have also massively unsettled an important player – Martinez – at a domestic rival just makes the whole situation all the sweeter.
Featured image Octavio Passos via Getty Images
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
