It’s transfer deadline day for Europe’s top leagues and Manchester United have been busy at the end of the window, as expected.
United will sign a new goalkeeper in Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp. He arrived in Manchester early on a flight from Belgium. The 23-year-old, viewed as the long-term replacement of Thibaut Courtois, is consider a superb shot stopper.
Lammens played every game for Antwerp last season as they finished fifth in the Juniper Pro league. The fee is expected to be around €21 million plus add-ons. Lammens will sign a five-year contract.
United were also interested in the Aston Villa and Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, 32, but the costs attached to the deal were considered too expensive.
United are not expected to sign young Emirati goalkeeper Abdullah Al Hammadi, who had been on trial with the club with a view to him becoming a training goalkeeper. It is very difficult for an English club to get a working visa for a young footballer from the UAE.
The future for United’s two main goalkeepers, Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir, is uncertain. United were already concerned at the prospect of losing Onana for a month for the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, which starts on December 21 and finishes January 18.
Forward Rasmus Hojlund is expected to move to Napoli on a loan with a £38m transfer should the Serie A champions qualify for the Champions League next season.
Hojlund made a lot of friends during a difficult time at Old Trafford and his departure is viewed with sadness that things did not work out differently.
United are not expected to bring in a midfielder in this window but will keep Kobbie Mainoo, and three other international midfielders in Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte.
The club are trying to become smarter in the transfer market, which isn’t easy when so many of the squad are on vast wages and that same squad finished 15th last season.
It is clear United are not selling players from a position of strength. Jadon Sancho was on high wages and AS Roma were prepared to pay around £20m for the forward, but Sancho did not want to make the move. He is expected to sign, instead, on loan to Aston Villa who will cover 80 per cent of his wages.
United are confident that with the bonuses achieved by playing that they won’t be paying any of Sancho’s wages. Sancho cost United £73m in 2021.
Villa have also signed free agent Victor Lindelof, previously of Manchester United.
Fellow forward Antony will join La Liga club Betis, who recorded their highest ever La Liga crowd of 65,222 in Sunday’s 2-0 home defeat to Athletic Club. The fee will be €25m, way down on the €95m United paid Ajax for the Brazilian in 2022.
On Friday, Betis hoped that United would pay a £6m gap in what Antony felt he was owed in wages, but United were not prepared to pay. After negotiation, United will pay nothing and receive 50 per cent of any fee that Antony is sold for in future.
Full-back Tyrell Malacia is not expected to join La Liga club Elche, thought the Dutchman isn’t constrained by the window as he can move on a free transfer.
United feel that they have solved a lot of their problems in the transfer window with both incomings and outgoings, but believe there is still a long way to in terms of building a team capable of winning the Premier League title.
The international break means that United don’t have a game for two weeks before the Manchester derby at the Etihad stadium on September 14.
