Man Utd agree personal terms for fifth summer signing after Man City approach

Manchester United have agreed personal terms with Royal Antwerp goalkeeper Senne Lammens over a move to Old Trafford.

United expressed interest in signing a new shot-stopper despite Ruben Amorim’s public and repeated backing of Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir.

Amorim picked Bayindir for Manchester United’s Premier League opener against Arsenal last weekend, with Onana not even featuring on the bench for the 1-0 defeat.

Despite dropping Onana and then watching Bayindir make a crucial error for Arsenal’s goal, Amorim defended both players and suggested United would not be signing a new goalkeeper before the transfer deadline.

However, behind closed doors Manchester United have been considering their options and expressed interest in Belgian shot-stopper Lammens.

Lammens, 23, has impressed in the Belgian Pro League over the past three seasons and has been tipped as a future Belgium No. 1 once superstar Thibaut Courtois retires.

Manchester City have also shown interest in Lammens but Fabrizio Romano says Manchester United have moved ahead of their local rivals by agreeing personal terms over a move.

The deal is considered to be at an ‘advanced stage’ and as a result Lammens has been left out of Royal Antwerp’s team for their league game against Mechelen on Sunday.

United are yet to agree a deal with Antwerp but are believed to be ‘close’ to agreeing a fee, which could be around £20m.

It is unclear whether Amorim views Lammens as an immediate replacement for Onana and Bayindir and what his arrival means for United’s current goalies.

Onana, a £47m signing from Inter Milan, has been tentatively linked with a move to Saudi Arabia over the past 12 months.

The former Sporting boss faces another tricky decision on Sunday as he decides which goalkeeper to pick for the trip to Craven Cottage to face Fulham.

Asked whether he wanted to sign a new keeper at his pre-match press conference on Friday, Amorim said: ‘It’s not an idea that these guys are going to leave, to play in a different club, and then we’ll receive another player.

‘We don’t know what is going to happen, but we’re not waiting to take out someone to get another.’

If Lammens moves to Manchester United, he will become Amorim’s fifth summer signing following Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Diego Leon.

Speaking after the opening-day defeat to Arsenal, Gary Neville implored his former club to sign a new goalkeeper and said it was the ‘glaring issue’ at Old Trafford.

While Manchester City are known admirers of Lammens, their focus is currently on a sensational deal for PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Donnarumma is searching for a new club after effectively being banished by PSG boss Luis Enrique and is open to a move to the Premier League.

Man City re-signed James Trafford from Burnley earlier in the summer but he struggled in Saturday’s shock 2-0 defeat at home to Tottenham.

Ederson has been City’s No. 1 for almost a decade but he looks set to leave the Etihad Stadium before the transfer deadline, with Turkish champions Galatasaray keen on a move.

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