Man Utd Strikes Deal: Premier League Keeper Set for Blockbuster Sancho Swap
Manchester United's quest to secure a new shot-stopper has allegedly led the club to suggest a surprising exchange deal involving Aston Villa's Emiliano Martínez, with Jadon Sancho potentially moving in the opposite direction. However, this unforeseen proposal has emerged alongside an enhanced bid for Senne Lammens.
Ruben Amorim's obvious distrust in André Onana has been intensified by Altay Bayındır's mistake-filled beginning to the current season, establishing a significant goalkeeping dilemma at Old Trafford.
Following United's unsteady 3–2 triumph against Burnley on Saturday, marking the fourth consecutive match this season featuring a goalkeeping blunder for the home team, Amorim expressed: "It's challenging to be a Manchester United goalkeeper at this time."
This demanding responsibility might be transferred to a new keeper as United approach securing a fresh goalkeeping addition—though the specific identity of this essential signing remains unclear.
Lammens allegedly continues to be the primary target, though Martínez has become the focus of a recent inquiry from United as an option to the Belgian. The highly regarded World Cup champion has supposedly reached personal agreement with Amorim's team and discussions with Villa are ongoing, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Nevertheless, any transaction for Martínez would remain "complex" and there have been hints of a possible exchange involving Sancho, as initially disclosed by The Telegraph.
The England player has witnessed numerous potential departure opportunities eliminated this summer after consistently failing to reach acceptable personal agreements. Marcus Rashford flourished during his loan spell at Villa Park last season after finding himself in a similar predicament to Sancho, essentially being deemed excess to requirements under Amorim.
Villa's rumored pursuit of Lammens represents another element to examine in an increasingly intricate transfer network.
The 23-year-old Belgian had been positioned as United's primary goalkeeper objective before the recent increase in attention surrounding Martínez. Multiple reports suggested that the young Belgian was prepared for a transfer to Old Trafford after being excluded from Antwerp's previous two matches.
The Belgian club's manager Stef Wils acknowledged on Friday that Lammens was participating in a specialized training regimen to prevent any last-minute complications regarding a potential departure. "That's a reasonable choice," Wils remarked. "Given this could be a significant outgoing transfer, we aim to reduce injury risks."
United's original proposal for Lammens was valued at approximately £17.3 million ($23.4 million) and the Red Devils are believed to have approached Antwerp again with a better offer. No specific amount has been disclosed for this second attempt, though it has been suggested that Antwerp would release their goalkeeper for more than £20 million.
In contrast to Martínez, personal terms with Lammens have not yet been finalized by United, which might create an opportunity for Villa. Romano indicates that Unai Emery's squad has submitted a formal inquiry for the goalkeeper should Martínez transfer to Old Trafford.