Man Utd target left out of squad for match as Old Trafford switches edges closer

Manchester United appear to be closing in on the signing of a new goalkeeper after Royal Antwerp left out Senne Lammens for their Belgian Pro League clash with Mechelen

Manchester United transfer target Senne Lammens has been left out of the squad for Royal Antwerp’s clash with Mechelen as he inches closer to joining the Red Devils. Ruben Amorim is keen to sign a new goalkeeper, with Lammens set to provide competition for Andre Onana.

Onana has come under fire since joining United from Inter Milan in 2023 after making several high-profile errors, but there is a lack of genuine competition for his spot as No.1. Onana did not make the squad for United’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal last weekend and backup goalkeeper Altay Bayindir was at fault for Riccardo Calafiori’s winner.

As a result, United are looking to sign Lammens for £17.3million and a deal appears to be very close after Antwerp did not select him against Mechelen. Yannick Thoelen was handed his first start of the season instead, while new signing Taishi Brandon Nozawa made the bench.

Although Lammens expected arrival will leave Amorim with four options between the sticks, he has insisted that a new signing does not mean either Onana or Bayindir will leave. “It’s not an idea that ‘these players are going to leave and then we’ll receive another player’,” he said.

“We don’t know what is going to happen but we are not waiting to take out someone to bring another player [in]. One thing is not responsible for the other.

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“The players you’re talking about are not players who are training with the group in this moment. We have a group training so it’s not going to affect a lot.”

United have already strengthened their squad with the signings of Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Diego Leon so far this summer and Amorim believes the Red Devils are much better than they were last season.

When asked if his squad are tougher, Amorim replied: “Yeah, I think you can see that is a fact. Because you can see with the data. Then, with confidence sometimes you react a little bit sooner and you are near the ball.

“Again, against Arsenal we were sometimes building up but we had to kick the ball, and you could see the reaction of the players in the second balls — the duels — we are stronger, we are recovering our positions faster.

“I remember at least two times in the corner, one time with [Martin] Odegaard running with the ball, and you could look at our players and we are sprinting full power. Even Casemiro, is in a different pace. So, all these things, I can watch the games since the start of the season and we are consistent in that, so that is important.”

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