Manchester United's Goalkeeping Overhaul: Angus Gunn as Key Target
Manchester United are preparing to rip up their goalkeeping department this summer, with Scotland international Angus Gunn moving towards the top of their shortlist.
Recruitment staff at Old Trafford have identified the experienced stopper as a leading candidate to anchor a rebuilt unit, with the club set on a sweeping overhaul behind emerging No 1 Senne Lammens. Gunn’s recent run of games for Scotland in World Cup fixtures against Haiti, Morocco and Brazil has sharpened United’s focus, but it is his deeper connections that give this pursuit extra weight.
The 28-year-old worked closely with United’s director of football Jason Wilcox during their shared spell at Manchester City’s academy. That long-standing relationship is understood to have helped push Gunn into serious consideration as United look for a calm, seasoned presence to guide a young goalkeeping group through the demands of Champions League football.
Onana and Bayindir pushed towards the exit
The interest in Gunn underlines a firm decision at Old Trafford: the current senior hierarchy is being dismantled.
United intend to offload both Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir in the current window. Onana has been explicitly told the club want to cash in on him, a stark shift less than a year after his high-profile arrival from Inter. For now, the Cameroonian remains on the schedule. If no deal is agreed, he is still due to report back for early pre-season in two weeks and could even feature in friendlies against Wrexham in Helsinki on July 18 and Rosenborg on July 24.
Bayindir’s future looks even clearer. The Turkey international is widely expected to return to his homeland, with a prospective move to Besiktas on the table once he completes an extended three-week post-World Cup break. Turkey’s early elimination by Australia and Paraguay has given him time away, but the direction of travel is obvious: his United career is likely to end after just one season.
The pressure on United to get this rebuild right is obvious. Champions League football returns next season, and with it a relentless schedule that will punish any weakness in depth.
Lammens established – but not left alone
Inside the club, there is strong belief in Senne Lammens. Since making his debut against Sunderland last October, the young Belgian has seized the No 1 shirt and “undisputed” is now the word used around Carrington to describe his status.
United, though, have been burned before by leaving too much on young shoulders. The plan this time is clear: Lammens will stay first choice, but he will not stand alone.
Gunn is viewed as the kind of goalkeeper who can walk into a Champions League dressing room and cope with the noise, yet still accept the internal battle for minutes. United have also kept tabs on Leeds United veteran Karl Darlow, another experienced option who fits the profile of a reliable deputy rather than a disruptive headline act.
That balance matters, especially with Radek Vitek returning from loan. The youngster has made it clear he does not want to come back to Old Trafford as a token backup. His stance adds another layer to a puzzle that United must solve before the season starts: how to build a group where Lammens leads, experience supports, and promising talent does not stagnate.
Clock ticking towards Hull
The timeline is tight. Pre-season friendlies in Helsinki and Trondheim will offer a glimpse of the short-term reality if Onana’s transfer drags. He could yet find himself back in a United shirt, keeping goal while his future is negotiated in the background.
By late July, the club want clarity. By August, they need certainty.
United open their Premier League campaign away to newly promoted Hull City on August 22. Whoever walks out at the MKM Stadium as United’s goalkeeper will not just be starting a new season. He will be the face of a rebuilt department, and a test case for whether this ruthless reset in one of the game’s most scrutinised positions has come a year too late – or just in time.
