United have not ruled out signing another goalkeeper this summer
Sean McCormick is a content editor across our North East and Yorkshire football clubs. He was previously a Newcastle United reporter, a trends writer covering both the Magpies and Sunderland AFC, as well as a football content editor at the Manchester Evening News. He also writes about darts and boxing. He joined us in 2016.
Ruben Amorim defended Manchester United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir
Ruben Amorim defended Manchester United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir
(Image: BeanymanSports)
Ruben Amorim may have defended him publicly but surely Altay Bayindir's latest howler against Arsenal last weekend sealed his Manchester United fate.
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Amorim weakly flapped at Declan Rice's corner which allowed Riccardo Calafiori the simplest of headers to secure the Gunners a vital three points away from home.
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For United it was an all too familiar tale: a goalkeeper costing them matches. Bayindir made a similar error in the Carabao Cup quarter-final defeat to Tottenham last season.
When that point was raised at Amorim's post match press conference and the suggestion was made that third choice goalkeeper Tom Heaton should have been considered ahead of Bayindir, the United boss jumped to his goalkeeper's defence.
"Why? Without VAR [in the competition],β the 40-year-old said. "With VAR, itβs a foul. And then what happened in the next game? Arsenal. Who saved the penalty? Who saved the game?"
Bayindir's heroics that day did secure United's passage into the FA Cup fourth round but that performance was very much the exception to the rule during his time at the club thus far.
Andre Onana is expected to regain his place between the sticks against Fulham this weekend, despite doubts over his performances across the last two seasons.
Given the number of high profile errors Onana himself has made, one would suggest a good enough number two may well have usurped him as United's number one by now.
Put simply, Bayindir isn't good enough for United and the timing of fresh links to Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens are certainly curious.
The 23-year-old has continued to impress for Royal Antwerp this season and has been described as an ideal fit for the Premier League.
United have not entirely ruled out signing a new goalkeeper but are not planning for a headline number one to come in before the transfer deadline.
Lammens fits that bill. He won't command a huge fee while United prioritise a move for a new midfielder, but he will be an upgrade on Bayindir with the potential to grow into a legitimate challenger for Onana's starting berth.
With competition growing in the market for Lammens, who has been involved in the last two Belgium squads, United may have to make a decision over whether they make a move between now and the end of the window.
On the evidence of last weekend's defeat to Arsenal, that decision should be obvious.