Man Utd instructed to pay £40m to sign 'world-class' star after submitting bid - report

Manchester United will need to pay a premium fee to sign one of the Premier League’s leading goalkeepers, according to The Telegraph.

The Red Devils have primarily focused on bolstering their forward department, but a new goalkeeper could be signed before the new campaign.

Andre Onana picked up a hamstring injury in pre-season training, and it is unclear whether he will be fit before the Premier League curtain-raiser.

The Telegraph now claim that the Red Devils recently submitted a loan offer for Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez, but the proposal was instantly rejected.

The Argentine’s future remains uncertain, but Villa are adamant that they will only accept a permanent bid of £40 million to part ways with his services.

United should focus on landing Senne Lammens

Martinez has established himself as one of the best shot-stoppers in the Premier League. He has played a key role in Villa’s pursuit of European football in the last few years.

Despite this, United should avoid paying a premium fee for the shot-stopper described as ‘world-class‘ by iNews. He is almost 33 and has shown signs of regression over the last 12 months.

Martinez made five errors leading to shots last term and had some nervous moments with his distribution. He cost Villa a Champions League spot with his straight red card before half-time against United.

The Red Devils went on to win 2-0 on the final matchday at Old Trafford. As a result, Martinez will be suspended for the first three games of the 2025/26 league campaign because of violent conduct.

In our view, United should consider a more affordable and better alternative in the transfer market.

The club genuinely hold an interest in signing Senne Lammens. The 23-year-old had a superb breakthrough campaign at Royal Antwerp last term, making 44 appearances in all competitions.

The Belgian made 4.3 saves per game with a success rate of 77 percent. He also managed more than seven long balls per game and achieved a passing accuracy of around 71 percent.

Sammens also saved four out of eight penalties against him. He is available for £13-17m, and it appears a no-brainer decision to sign him over Martinez, who could be past his prime soon.

Stats from Sofascore.com

Article written by Sri Aswin .