Manchester United Settles Goalkeeper Battle: Senne Lammens vs Emiliano Martinez Decision Reached
Manchester United have allegedly decided to pursue young Belgian keeper Senne Lammens rather than the more seasoned Emiliano Martínez.
The Royal Antwerp number one has been tracked by United for some time and has previously discussed publicly the possibility of moving to the club, with discussions intensifying in recent weeks. After the poor performances from both Altay Bayındır and André Onana this season, Ruben Amorim's team have fast-tracked their search for a new goalkeeper.
There were brief rumors that Martínez might arrive at Old Trafford following his reported discontent at Aston Villa in a potential exchange involving Jadon Sancho. While the English forward seems destined for Villa Park, the World Cup champion won't be making the reverse journey.
United have reportedly agreed to pay Antwerp an upfront fee of €21 million (£18.2 million, $24.6 million) plus undisclosed performance-related bonuses, according to The Athletic. Lammens is believed to have agreed to a five-year deal at Old Trafford with acceptable personal terms, leaving only the official signing formalities.
Notably, Aston Villa were also reportedly monitoring Lammens should Martínez have departed. Unai Emery declined to discuss the Argentine before Sunday's fixture against Crystal Palace, instead highlighting Marco Bizot, his chosen keeper for that game. The Dutch goalkeeper subsequently conceded a penalty that gave Palace their opener in a 3–0 defeat.
At 23 years old, Lammens has yet to earn a senior international cap for Belgium—though competing with Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois presents a significant challenge. The 6'4" shot-stopper developed through Club Brugge's youth system before joining Antwerp on a free transfer two seasons ago.
The prospect has accumulated 64 first-team appearances but faces a massive examination of his abilities at Old Trafford. As Amorim acknowledged over the weekend: "It's challenging to be a Manchester United goalkeeper right now."