Fabrizio Romano: Manchester United eyeing Senne Lammens as Emi Martinez pursuit hits a dead end
The new Premier League season started against expectations for Manchester United. United showed some energy in the opening minutes of the match against Arsenal on Sunday, but it soon disappeared. The turning point of the match came when Altay Bayindir made a mistake in catching a simple corner, and Riccardo Calafiori scored with a header.
After this, United tried to make a comeback. Benjamin Sesko was brought to the field by Ruben Amorim, but the equaliser did not come. Bryan Mbeumo’s brilliant overhead effort went out of the goal, and later David Raya stopped his header to give Arsenal three points. This defeat has forced United fans to think about which direction the team are going at the beginning of the season. Gary Neville had also pointed out the goalkeeper’s mistake against Arsenal.
A key addition to the United roster
United’s biggest weakness last season was the goalkeeper position. Andre Onana’s repeated mistakes cost them several important matches, and the Europa League final loss to Tottenham added to the bitterness. Now, Altay Bayindir’s mistake at the start of the new season made it clear that this problem is still not solved. That is why the club are constantly looking for a new goalkeeper this summer.
Fabrizio Romano: Manchester United eyeing Senne Lammens as Emi Martinez pursuit hits a dead end.
Senne Lammens still continues to attract interest from Manchester United
Fabrizio Romano has clearly stated via YouTube that United’s interest in Emiliano Martinez has now cooled down. Gianluigi Donnarumma’s name also came up, but Manchester City have moved forward in talks with him. In such a situation, United’s eyes are now set on Royal Antwerp’s young goalkeeper Senne Lammens.
Romano also reminded that United’s interest in this player was shown in July and early August, and the club have monitored him for a long time. The Belgian goalkeeper is still young, but United’s interest in him remains, and there is a possibility of signing him before the transfer window closes. The question is whether Amorim’s team needs stability or should bet on the future.
“The situation involving Emi Martinez has gone completely quiet. But a goalkeeper they still like and are still keeping an eye on is Senne Lammens, the goalkeeper of Royal Antwerp.
“Very talented goalkeeper, Belgian and United have been monitoring him for a long time. I told you about this interest in July and the beginning of August. This interest remains and if United decide from now until the end of the window to invest on a goalkeeper – Lammens is the goalkeeper they like.
“So could be a possibility. [Gianluigi] Donnarumma, they are aware of the situation but Man City are in concrete talks to sign him. So this is currently the situation for Man United but still, nothing imminent as of now.”
A must-add position this summer
In our opinion, United need a reliable goalkeeper the most at the moment. Bayindir’s slip-ups and Onana’s frequent mistakes show that the team lack a solid base. Bringing in Lammens may seem like a risky move as he has yet to prove himself at the big stage. An experienced goalkeeper like Martinez would have been a better option, but if the club are focused on the long term, signing Lammens could prove to be useful in the future.
Still, as things stand, we believe United should rely on experience. Amorim has to build a team that can reach the top four again and return to European football. Names like Donnarumma are probably a pipe dream, especially with City in the running for him.
So United will have to think whether they want stability or will wait patiently and rely on the development of a potential star. Our gut feel tells us that we should take less risk this time and focus on a player who can make an immediate impact, but then again, we don’t have many options at that moment. So, it’s better that if we have the chance, then we should make the move for the Belgian shot-stopper. Meanwhile, Manchester United are keen to make a late summer push to land 21-year-old English star.