Top-four rivals ready to dash United’s hopes of landing long-term target, Carrick will be disappointed – report

A lot has been written about Manchester United’s need to revamp their midfield, but Michael Carrick knows it is equally important to get things right at the back. After all, it was one simple decision from INEOS late on last summer that completely transformed the team’s fortunes on the pitch. After being fed up of Andre Onana’s errors, then-head coach Ruben Amorim asked the co-owners for reinforcements and in came Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp. Not much was expected from the Belgian, but he ended up having an immediate impact and was named the Premier League’s transfer of the season. United planning multiple goalkeeping departures And for good reason, as the 23-year-old prevented the most goals and his commanding presence inside the box saw the Red Devils concede a lot fewer goals from set-pieces. The Cameroonian has no way back despite his desire to return for pre-season and Trabzonspor are favourites to acquire him again on loan. There is interest from Besiktas as well, who are also eyeing Altay Bayindir. The Turkiye international was handed the chance to impress early on last season, but was equally hopeless. With both keepers expected to depart, and Radek Vitek unlikely to play a backup role, it is important that INEOS bring in a quality backup keeper and they cannot afford to mess up this signing. Zion Suzuki has once again emerged as a target Lots of names have been linked with a switch to Old Trafford, including long-term target Zion Suzuki, who has been in impressive form for Parma. However, SportsBoom have now reported that Aston Villa, who are on the verge of losing Emiliano Martinez, are in pole position for the Japanese shot-stopper. Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, and Napoli are also interested in the 23-year-old and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. “Aston Villa find themselves at the centre of one of this summer’s most compelling goalkeeper transfer stories. As Emiliano Martinez’s potential departure becomes an increasingly concrete possibility, Villa’s hierarchy has already identified a successor. Aston Villa in pole position “According to SportsBoom, Parma’s Japanese goalkeeper Zion Suzuki is Villa’s priority alternative target. Parma are monitoring this process closely. The reason is straightforward. The Martinez situation is directly shaping Suzuki’s future. “According to sources close to SportsBoom, Bayern München, Inter, Napoli, and Manchester United are all keeping a close eye on Suzuki’s situation. The presence of these names on the list only strengthens Parma’s hand further. As competition intensifies, price pressure moves upward. Parma will exploit that dynamic to the very end.” United will not want a bidding war and they only plan to go after targets who only have eyes for them. Whether Zion Suzuki wants United is not certain at this stage. A great World Cup for Japan could see his price rise even further, which makes it even more unlikely that United will go after him. 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 Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25