Man United star could still leave in September as 'serious option' emerges for exit with talks ongoing
Man United signed goalkeeper Senne Lammens from Belgian side Royal Antwerp late on in the transfer window.
It has been a busy summer for Ruben Amorim, with the Manchester United boss heading into the transfer window aiming to rebuild his squad. He was able to bring in some big-name signings such as Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, and also managed to offload some names.
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Jadon Sancho, Antony, Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho, amongst others, all left the club, generating cash returns or savings in wages, and slimming down Amorim’s squad to the players that suit his system.
However, one of the most curious positions remains in goal, as United signed 23-year-old Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp, who is expected to take the number one role, due to the poor form of both Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir. But what does that mean for the other two keepers at Old Trafford?
Andre Onana could still leave this summer
Onana’s career at United hasn’t gone to plan; he lost the starting spot at the start of this season to Bayindir in the Premier League, and now that United added Lammens, his route to regular first-team football seems all but gone.
There was transfer interest in him over the summer from French side Monaco; however, no move materialised, and United ended their window with the Cameroon international still on their books.
The Saudi Pro League has been a potential destination for the 29-year-old for some time now, and it seems it could provide him with a chance to leave this summer. According to TeamTalk, a move to the Saudi League is a ‘serious option’ for Onana, and talks have been ongoing about a potential deal.
Because the transfer window for the Saudi Pro League doesn’t close until 23 September, Premier League clubs can still sell players this summer, meaning that Onana has a chance to leave United still before the Saudi window closes later in the month.
How much could Man United sell Onana for?
Seeing as the Red Devils are willing to sell Onana, and that they also brought in Lammens, a deal with the Saudi Pro League would suit United, as they should still be able to get some return on the former Inter Milan keeper.
They signed him from the Italian club in July 2023 for a fee of £43.5m, and he’s since made over 100 appearances for United. However, now that it seems his future is all but up at Old Trafford, the Red Devils will hope they can get a decent cash boost from his sale.
Based on his current market value, Onana won’t generate close to the £40m plus that United paid for him, as he’s currently estimated to be worth around £21m. Furthermore, seeing as he is now arguably United’s third-string keeper, his value is only going to reduce.
But, on the plus side, Saudi clubs do have plenty of money to spend, and so a £20m plus price tag could be possible. If United do sell Onana, they will also get a good wage boost, as his £120,000 per week contract would be off their books, with Saudi clubs easily able to afford his salary.