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Last summer, Manchester United set out to sign a top-class goalkeeper, an upgrade on Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir, to finally put their goalkeeping struggles behind them.
In pursuit of this upgrade, the transfer race narrowed to a choice between Senne Lammens and Emiliano Martinez.
Ultimately, Lammens was the one United secured, yet to do so they had to make a tough call, snubbing Martinez, a tried-and-tested Premier League keeper.
Villa also wanted Lammens
It is worth noting that Ineos did not enjoy a free run in their pursuit of the 23-year-old goalie.
Aston Villa also made a formal approach to Royal Antwerp for the Belgian shot-stopper, viewing him as the perfect replacement for Martinez, the very World Cup winner United had persistently been linked with.
So they had been hoping to sell Martinez to United, thereby clearing the path for a free run at ‘baby Courtois’.
Lammens over Martinez
By deadline day, the scenario could easily have been Martinez heading to M16 and Lammens moving to the West Midlands. Yet United acted decisively, snapping up Unai Emery’s upgrade on the World Cup winner, and they have not regretted it.
Lammens has been a breath of fresh air between the sticks. His sharp reflexes and commanding saves have kept United in games. It is no coincidence that they have lost only twice in the 20 matches in which he has featured. Meanwhile, Villa are still keen to replace Martinez.
That “Lammens transfer trick” should now guide United’s midfield chase.
The Baleba dilemma
United are heavily linked with Carlos Baleba. The Cameroonian was close to a move last summer, but the deal collapsed, a blessing in disguise.
Halfway through the season, he has not looked remotely like the £100 million player he was packaged as.
The 21-year-old has suffered a significant dip in form. His unconvincing performances week after week raise red flags. Most telling was his disastrous outing against Aston Villa: booked inside two minutes, nearly sent off, and hauled off within 20 minutes. If that was not a warning sign, what is?
Sell Baleba, buy Yirenkyi
Brighton and Hove Albion still plan to cash in, hoping to fetch £100 million or more. Notably, they already have a replacement in mind: Caleb Yirenkyi.
🌟If you’re a fan of Camavinga, you’re going to fall in love with Caleb Yirenkyi. The kid is a special talent.
Manchester United and several other big teams are reportedly following him closely. I’ll have an in-depth breakdown ready tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/tBqiFsAxe0
— Rising Gems (@RisingGemsz) February 12, 2026
Yirenkyi, a 20-year-old Ghanaian midfielder at FC Nordsjælland, is rapidly emerging as a midfield powerhouse. He is described as a true engine in the middle of the park, an all-action player who moves seamlessly from defence to attack.
He fights relentlessly to win back possession, then immediately shifts gears, showing remarkable composure on the ball. From there, he sprays passes with precision, his distribution standing out as consistently top-class.
Brighton regard him as a clear upgrade on Baleba, and that alone should send a strong signal to INEOS: Yirenkyi is the player United ought to target. Crucially, the Red Devils have already been linked with his services, which makes the pursuit all the more realistic.
Lessons from Brighton’s model
Brighton’s recruitment model is among the best in the Premier League; they rarely miss. Years ago, they beat United to Moises Caicedo, and that proved a masterstroke. Now they have spotted another gem in Yirenkyi, aiming to bring him in while offloading their struggling midfielder to United.
This mirrors last summer’s goalkeeper saga. United passed on Martinez and ended up with the superior option in Lammens. The same logic applies here: pass on Baleba, go bold for the other target, Yirenkyi, and INEOS could pull off another transfer masterstroke.
Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images
The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
