Man Utd 'step up interest' in £17m goalkeeper after Andre Onana ruled out of pre-season

Manchester United are ready to ramp up their interest in Royal Antwerp goalkeeper Senne Lammens as they make plans after it was confirmed that No 1 Andre Onana will be ruled out for weeks with a hamstring injury.

Antwerp have slapped a £17million price tag on the Belgian star amid interest from the Premier League giants. Onana's injury means he will miss the entirety of pre-season and he is in a race against time to feature in the season opener against Arsenal.

United had been linked with a change in between the sticks as Onana continues to struggle for consistency. Ever since joining from Inter Milan for an initial fee of £44million in 2023, he's been error-prone with several of his mistakes leading directly to goals.

There was talk of the club scouring the market for a new No 1 but the fitness issues with Onana mean that Ruben Amorim has little choice but to go after another goalkeeper and talkSPORT reports they are ready to pursue Lammens.

The goalkeeper himself admits he was overawed when he learnt of the interest from the Manchester side but believes the way he plays would suit English football.

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"The first time I heard I thought, 'Wow'," he said. "Immediately a world [renowned] team that follows you. That is special. Of course, I was also spoken to about it a lot and when I made a save in training, it was United this, United that [from colleagues]… It's only positive.

"Especially because it's the best competition in the world and my profile, my stature and way of playing, is similar to English football. You have to physically hold your own there and that suits me."

It has been reported previously that United would be willing to take a £20m hit on Onana to ensure he gets a move away. The Cameroonian goalkeeper sees his future up in the air following a tricky couple of campaigns at Old Trafford.

AS Monaco and Saudi clubs have shown tentative interest but neither would be able to match United’s demands. Onana himself has no desire to quit the club and wants to prove that he can cut it.

Nevertheless Red Devils chiefs would be willing to sell him for around £30m in an effort to get him off the wage bill if the opportunity arose. Amorim dropped Onana for a game last term at Newcastle, which came just days after a poor display at Lyon.

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