Angus Gunn Emerges as Top Goalkeeper Target for Manchester United
Manchester United are preparing a ruthless reset of their goalkeeping department, with Scotland international Angus Gunn emerging as a leading target in a summer of sweeping change.
Recruitment staff at Old Trafford are tracking the experienced shot-stopper as they look to rebuild the entire hierarchy behind – and possibly ahead of – their current No 1. Gunn’s recent run of games for Scotland in World Cup fixtures against Haiti, Morocco and Brazil has sharpened United’s interest, but it is not just form that has put him on their radar.
There is history here. Gunn worked closely with Jason Wilcox during their time together at Manchester City’s academy, and that long-standing relationship with United’s current director of football is understood to be a key factor in his rise up the shortlist.
Onana and Bayindir set for exits
The pursuit of Gunn comes with a clear backdrop: United have made a firm decision to move on from both Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir.
Onana, signed to be the long-term solution in goal, has been explicitly told the club intend to cash in on him in the current window. The Cameroonian is still due to report for early pre-season training in two weeks if no deal is finalised, but the direction of travel is obvious. His future lies away from Old Trafford; the only question is how quickly an agreement can be reached.
Bayindir’s path looks more straightforward. The Turkish goalkeeper is widely expected to return to his homeland, with a prospective move to Besiktas on the table once he comes back from an extended post-World Cup break. After Turkey’s early elimination by Australia and Paraguay, he has been granted three weeks off before his situation is resolved.
Lammens impresses, but United want experience
Amid the churn, one young goalkeeper has quietly taken control of the No 1 shirt. Senne Lammens has established himself as the first choice at Old Trafford since his debut against Sunderland last October, seizing his chance and holding it.
That rise has not dulled United’s urgency. With elite Champions League football returning to an already congested calendar next season, the recruitment team want hardened, reliable competition around him. The plan is not just to stock numbers, but to build a group that can withstand the demands of domestic and European campaigns.
Gunn fits that brief. So does Karl Darlow, the Leeds United veteran also monitored by the club as they scan the market for a steady, experienced presence who can step in without fuss.
Complications in the pecking order
The reshuffle is not confined to the senior names. Young loanee Radek Vitek is due back at the club, but he has made it clear he does not want to return simply to sit on the bench. That stance adds another layer to an already delicate puzzle: United must balance ambition, development and the need for proven quality in the same department.
If Onana’s exit drags, he could yet find himself back in a United shirt before he leaves. The club’s summer schedule includes friendlies against Wrexham in Helsinki on July 18 and Rosenborg on July 24, fixtures that may feature the 28-year-old if his transfer remains unresolved by then.
A race against the calendar
Time is not on United’s side. The clock is ticking towards the Premier League opener away at newly promoted Hull City on August 22, a fixture that will immediately test whatever new structure emerges between the posts.
By then, United want clarity: who starts, who pushes, who leaves. For a club that has lived with uncertainty in goal, this summer is not about tinkering. It is about drawing a line and building a new order – with Angus Gunn firmly in their sights as the potential cornerstone of that change.
