Altay Bayindir will stay in goal for Manchester United in Sunday’s crunch derby against City but boss Ruben Amorim has hinted new signing Senne Lammens could be the long-term number one at Old Trafford.
United splashed £18.1m on 23-year-old Lammens from Royal Antwerp on deadline day after snubbing Aston Villa’s World Cup winner Emi Martinez. The Belgian youngster is seen as a future star but for now Amorim is sticking with Bayindir despite his shaky start to the season.
The Turkish keeper, 27, has played all three league games so far but errors against Arsenal and Burnley have left fans nervous. Still Amorim insists he keeps the shirt for the trip to the Etihad.
“Altay is going to continue,” Amorim said. “He has more experience right now but Lammens has great potential to be our goalkeeper for years to come. At this club you must look at the present and the future.”
Bayindir only made his Premier League debut in April yet he already has 10 caps for Turkey and has seen more top-level football than Lammens who only managed one full season as a first-team regular in Belgium.
The call to back Bayindir has been made easier by the departure of Andre Onana who has joined Trabzonspor on loan. The Cameroon keeper never convinced at Old Trafford despite arriving with a big reputation after winning Serie A with Inter and playing in the 2023 Champions League final.
Onana’s spell unravelled over the summer when he returned from injury and blundered badly in the EFL Cup defeat to fourth-tier Grimsby. United were dumped out on penalties and Amorim decided it was time for a reset.
“The quality is there but the pressure is huge here,” Amorim admitted. “Sometimes you need to change the environment to get back to your level. It was tough on Andre and tough on us but it was the right decision.”
Onana is not expected to play for United again with his contract running until 2028 but little chance of a comeback.
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