Man United bid rejected to sign £40m Premier League star who wants to make Old Trafford move
Man United are looking to sign a goalkeeper to replace Andre Onana this summer.
Andre Onana has been involved in an uncertain summer period, as there were reports suggesting he was going to leave to join Ligue 1 side Monaco; then it was claimed he would stay at Manchester United.
Furthermore, throughout this period, United have been linked to signing a new goalkeeper to one challenge Onana, and two, potentially replace the Cameroon international after a season full of mistakes last year.
They have been heavily linked to signing Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, with reports suggesting that the Argentina international would like to come to Old Trafford if he does leave Villa Park.
Man United see loan bid rejected for Martinez
The Red Devils have been linked to signing Martinez since the start of the summer transfer window, amid reports that he could leave Villa for as little as £16m, a bargain fee for one of the best stoppers in the world.
However, Villa could opt to keep hold of the 32-year-old, as they aren’t in as poor a financial position as previously claimed by several reports. According to the Daily Mail, Man United made a loan offer to try and sign Martinez to provide immediate competition for Onana.
The report claims that they sent the proposal to Villa, and it was immediately rebuffed by those at Villa Park, suggesting they would be more prepared to accept a permanent deal rather than a loan. With his contract due to run until 2029, if Martinez were to leave Villa just on loan, the Birmingham-based club wouldn’t really see any benefit out of it.
United could instead offer a permanent bid, but it is expected that Villa values the 32-year-old at around £40m. Seeing as it looks as though Onana is set to stay, the Red Devils can’t afford to offer too much unless they sell the Cameroon international.
Man United could pursue 23-year-old target instead
The Red Devils haven’t only been linked with Martinez in recent weeks, as 23-year-old keeper Senne Lammens has also emerged as a target. The Belgian keeper is currently playing for Royal Antwerp, and would likely be more of a competition for Onana rather than an outright replacement.
Lammens has a reported transfer price of up to £17.3m, meaning he would likely be much cheaper than Martinez, and is more of a keeper for the future with his age of just 23. Last season, he made 44 appearances for Antwerp, conceding 56 goals, and keeping 10 clean sheets.
The Red Devils have made no concrete offer for Lammens yet, but it does feel likely that if they miss out on Martinez, the Belgian stopper could be their second-choice option; he could come in and provide serious competition for Onana.