The timeline for Manchester United’s next summer signing has been revealed as the Red Devils close in on the capture of Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens.
A Safe Pair of Hands
The need for a new shot stopper at Old Trafford is obvious.
Neither Andre Onana nor Altay Bayindir have impressed since Ruben Amorim arrived at the club in November with both players committing game-changing errors when selected by the Portuguese coach.
Amorim has opted to start with Bayindir in the two opening fixtures this season. The 27-year-old has looked unsteady in both matches, however, and his struggles are as much a reflection of Onana’s own performances as Bayindir himself.
If the goalkeeper United shelved out £47 million for two years ago was performing anywhere close to the standard that fee suggests, the £4m back-up would not be starting.
However, the summer transfer budget has been primary directed towards attacking reinforcements, with the big-money signings of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko having relegated a goalkeeper down the list of priorities.
This means United are targeting a cheaper option between the sticks – a younger goalkeeper who can come in and compete with the existing options and grow as a player – rather than an experienced one to outright replace them.
But, in Sammens, Royal Antwerp’s highly-rated 23-year-old number one, United may just have found a goalkeeper who can offer both.
Closing in on a deal
Sammens enjoyed a superb campaign in the Jupiler Pro League last season, attracting the attention of a host of top clubs across the continent with an outstanding selection of statistics for Antwerp.
The 6’3 star would have little trouble displacing either Onana or Bayindir based on their respective performances last year.
Manchester City, Inter Milan and Galatasaray have all been credited with interest – but it is United who have stolen a march in the red-hot race for the Belgian U-21 star, despite a late hijack attempt from the Turkish champions.
The Red Devils are primed to secure Sammens with the 23-year-old believed to be prioritising a move to Old Trafford over other options.
A fee in the region of £17m has been floated as sufficient to sign him – a very reasonable fee for a goalkeeper with an excellent track record at such a young age.
Sammens was left out of Antwerp’s squad for their recent match against Mechelen, a strong indicator that an exit is set to be sanctioned. And Christoper Michel has now revealed the timeline for a deal to be completed.
The German football expert reveals United are “very optimistic” that Sammens will be signed in the “next two days,” suggesting a deal will be completed by Thursday, potentially Friday at the latest.
This would make the idea of Sammens being included in this weekend’s squad for the match against Burnley at Old Trafford on Saturday unlikely, but the prospect of the trip to the Etihad the week after a very likely one.
Talk about baptism by fires for a new ‘keeper – but when your existing options are the Chuckle Brothers, there may be little other choice.
Feature 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.
