Man Utd Close to Landing £17.3M Goalkeeper in Direct Challenge to Andre Onana's Throne
Manchester United are reportedly nearing the acquisition of Royal Antwerp's goalkeeper Senne Lammens, a development that could pose a considerable challenge to André Onana's position.
Following an injury-disrupted pre-season, Onana has not automatically reclaimed his spot since regaining fitness prior to last week's season opener versus Arsenal, and now confronts additional competition for his role from the promising Lammens.
The Guardian reports that a £17.3 million ($23.4 million) transfer is being negotiated, with expectations that the 23-year-old Belgian will compete with Onana for the first-choice position.
Lammens progressed through Club Brugge's system, but his 2023 transfer to Antwerp served as the catalyst his career required, establishing himself as the primary goalkeeper during an impressive 2024–25 season.
The Zottegem-native keeper, who possesses considerable ability but limited experience, has been included in Belgium's recent two squads yet remains without a senior international appearance.
Despite being declared fit for selection, Onana was unexpectedly excluded from United's matchday roster against Arsenal. Ruben Amorim indicated the decision reflected selecting "the optimal players for each match" and recognizing Altay Bayındır's pre-season displays.
Bayındır bore responsibility for Arsenal's winning goal. However, when addressing United's upcoming fixture against Fulham, Amorim remained noncommittal about reinstating Onana: "He is prepared to feature like last week, so we shall determine during the match who will be our goalkeeper."
Lammens would represent United's fifth summer acquisition, adding to the £213 million already invested in securing Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Šeško and Diego León.
Considerable attention focused on the club's potentially difficult financial circumstances entering the summer market, particularly without European competition revenue for 2025–26. United have not finalized any permanent departures this summer, though Amorim emphasized no direct correlation exists between outgoing and incoming transfers.
"We remain uncertain about future developments but we are not delaying new signings to facilitate departures. One does not depend on the other," he stated.