Manchester United's Goalkeeping Shake-up: Angus Gunn Targets
Manchester United are preparing a ruthless reset of their goalkeeping department, with Angus Gunn emerging as a leading target in a summer that could see both Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir pushed towards the exit.
Old Trafford’s recruitment team have turned to the Scotland international as they look to add experience and reliability behind emerging No 1 Senne Lammens. Gunn, who recently featured for Scotland in World Cup fixtures against Haiti, Morocco and Brazil, has climbed towards the top of United’s shortlist, with his profile ticking several key boxes for the club’s hierarchy.
One detail matters more than most: history. Gunn shares a strong connection with United’s director of football, Jason Wilcox, from their time together in Manchester City’s academy. In a market where trust and familiarity often speed up big decisions, that relationship has helped propel Gunn into serious contention.
Onana and Bayindir set for the door
The move for Gunn is not just about depth. It signals a clear break with the current structure.
United have made a firm internal decision to move on both Onana and Bayindir. The club have already informed the former Inter goalkeeper that they intend to cash in on him in this transfer window. For now, the plan remains that he will report back for early pre-season in two weeks’ time if no agreement is in place, but the direction of travel is obvious. His future lies away from Old Trafford.
Bayindir, meanwhile, is expected to head back to Turkey. After a season spent largely in the shadows, the Turkish international is being lined up for a move that would give him the regular football he has been denied in England, with Besiktas working on a potential deal.
Lammens’ rise forces United’s hand
All of this is happening against the backdrop of Lammens’ rapid rise.
Since making his debut against Sunderland last October, the young Belgian has seized the No 1 shirt and refused to let it go. Inside Carrington, there is no debate about his status: he is the first-choice goalkeeper.
But the landscape changes when the Champions League returns. With elite European football back on the calendar and a congested schedule looming, United want more than a talented prospect between the posts. They want hardened, experienced competition – someone who can step into high-pressure games without flinching.
That is where Gunn comes in. United have also kept tabs on Leeds United’s veteran Karl Darlow as they weigh up their options, but Gunn’s recent international exposure and his link to Wilcox give him a distinct edge.
Vitek pushes back on backup role
There is another complication. Radek Vitek, returning from a loan spell, has made it clear he has no interest in coming back simply to sit on the bench.
His stance adds urgency to United’s planning. The club cannot afford a crowded, unhappy goalkeeping room, nor can they go into a Champions League season short of proven cover. The solution, in their eyes, is a streamlined group built around Lammens, an experienced challenger such as Gunn, and a clear pathway for whoever remains.
Onana’s awkward limbo
For Onana, the next few weeks could be awkward.
If negotiations over his exit drag, he is likely to feature in United’s early pre-season friendlies, including the meeting with Wrexham in Helsinki on July 18 and the trip to Rosenborg on July 24. He would be playing with full knowledge that the club are actively trying to move him on, a stark contrast to the fanfare that greeted his arrival from Inter.
Bayindir’s situation is more straightforward. After Turkey’s early World Cup elimination at the hands of Australia and Paraguay, he has been granted an extended three-week break. Once he returns, the expectation is that talks over a switch to Besiktas will accelerate.
Countdown to Hull
All of these decisions must crystallise quickly.
United’s revamped goalkeeping unit will not have long to settle before being thrown into competitive action. The Premier League campaign opens with a potentially awkward trip to newly promoted Hull City on August 22, a fixture that will test both the authority of Lammens and the readiness of whoever lines up behind him in the pecking order.
By then, the club expect the uncertainty to be over. Onana’s future resolved. Bayindir’s next move agreed. Gunn or another experienced hand through the door.
For a position that has defined so many of United’s eras, from stability to chaos and back again, this summer feels like another turning point. The only question now is whether the next man through the door brings the calm they are so clearly chasing.
