Manchester United closing in on deal to sign 23-year-old star as player is left out of current team's squad for upcoming match: Reports

Manchester United are close to securing the services of Senne Lammens, according to The Guardian. The report adds that the Belgian goalkeeper is all set to miss Royal Antwerp's game against Mechelen on Sunday, August 24, in preparation for his £17m move to Old Trafford.

Lammens has caught the eye with the Belgian Pro League side of late and registered 10 clean sheets from 44 games last season. The 23-year-old's performances have already earned him admirers at the Red Devils.

Ruben Amorim is apparently looking to add more competition for Andre Onana in the squad. The Cameroonian has divided opinion since joining Manchester United from Inter Milan in the summer of 2023.

Last season, Onana registered 11 clean sheets from 50 games in all competitions, conceding 65 goals. The Red Devils have been linked with a new goalkeeper all summer, and it now appears that they have found their man in Lammens.

The Belgian, however, is likely to deputize for Onana should he complete a move to Old Trafford this summer. The 29-year-old is unlikely to leave, given that the Premier League giants have turned down multiple enquiries for his signature in recent times.

Onana was not in the squad for Manchester United's 1-0 defeat against Arsenal last week at Old Trafford. Interestingly, his replacement, Altay Bayindir, made an error that led to Riccardo Calafiori's goal.

The Cameroonian has reportedly travelled to London for the game against Fulham on Sunday at Craven Cottage and could be in contention for a place in the starting XI. Bayindir reportedly earns around £80,000 per week at Old Trafford, and if Lammens completes the move, he is likely to be on similar wages.

Will Manchester United face competition from Real Madrid in the race to sign Adam Wharton this summer?

Real Madrid have set their sights on Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, according to AS. Recent reports have suggested that Manchester United are already hot on the heels of the Englishman this summer.

The Red Devils want to upgrade their midfield this year, and were previously interested in Carlos Baleba. However, Brighton & Hove Albion have no desire to let the Cameroonian leave, forcing Ruben Amorim to consider alternatives.

Wharton has apparently popped up on Manchester United's radar after some fine work with Crystal Palace. The 21-year-old is likely to cost a huge fee as he is under contract until 2029, while interest from Real Madrid could further complicate matters.

About the author

Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over seven years at Sportskeeda. He has written more than 9500 articles for the website, and has garnered close to 21 million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.

Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.

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Edited by Deepungsu Pandit