The last week has been full of ups and downs for Manchester United, leading to huge questions being asked about the long-term future of Ruben Amorim.
His side fell to an embarrassing Carabao Cup second-round exit to League Two outfit Grimsby Town – in what was one of the worst defeats in the club’s history.
The Red Devils nearly dropped points in the recent Premier League clash with Burnley at Old Trafford, subsequently having to rely on a late Bruno Fernandes penalty to claim all three points against the newly promoted side.
With the transfer window slamming shut at 7pm tonight, the manager and the board will have to act quickly if they are to add further bodies to the first-team squad.
Moves have been explored by the hierarchy all window long, but it appears as though one more looks set to reach its conclusion within the next couple of hours.
The latest on United’s hunt for deadline day moves
Despite the focus mainly being on incomings in recent days, outgoings have also been prevalent at United to try and raise funds for Amorim in the hours ahead.
Antony, Rasmus Hojlund and Jadon Sancho are all set to depart Old Trafford, with the latter two leaving on initial loan deals – whilst the former is set to rejoin Real Betis on a permanent deal.
However, a deal looks set to be confirmed later today, with goalkeeper Senne Lammens looking certain to be a Red Devils player before the 7pm deadline.
It’s been reported by HLN via Sport Witness that the 23-year-old has been pictured boarding a private jet to Manchester, after an £18m transfer fee was agreed between the two clubs.
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Bruno has been a shining light for United over recent seasons, often coming up with the goods at key moments, as seen by his last-minute spot-kick against Burnley.
The Portuguese midfielder joined the Red Devils from Sporting CP back in the winter window of 2020 – tasked with providing added quality in attacking areas in the post-Jose Mourinho era.
He’s done just that over recent seasons, catapulting the side to a place in the Champions League back in his first season – going on to rack up a staggering 98 goals in his 294 appearances.
Such numbers saved Amorim’s side from an even more embarrassing finish last campaign – with the pending arrival of Lammens also doing just that for the Red Devils this summer.
The goalkeeping situation has been dire at Old Trafford in recent months, with Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir both failing to nail down the number one spot in recent months.
The pair have both made numerous mistakes in the last couple of outings against Burnley and Grimsby – leading to their move to land Lammens before the deadline.
Lammens, who’s a Belgian international, starred at Royal Antwerp last season, keeping ten clean sheets in his 41 appearances in the top division of Belgian football.
The youngster also achieved a 77% save percentage, whilst also saving 50% of the penalties he faced – ranking him in the 95th percentile of all ‘keepers in Europe last campaign.
Games played
41
Goals conceded
52
Clean sheets
10
Save percentage
77%
Penalties saved
50%
Pass accuracy
72%
Goals prevented
15.6
Crosses claimed
57
Other stats, such as his 72% pass accuracy, have also caught the eye – handing Amorim a ball-playing option that could prove a chance to build up play from the back when needed.
Given the fact that Lammens has travelled to Manchester to complete a move, it’s now just a matter of time before he can be considered a United player.
Should he replicate his numbers from last season, it would be an excellent deal, hopefully having the same impact Bruno did five years ago – subsequently solving one of the biggest issues in the current squad.
