Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens has already made a strong impression on a key member of Ruben Amorim’s leadership team during his first week of training at Carrington.
The New Kid on the Block
Lammens, aged 23, was officially signed on September 1 following a deal that was initially valued at £18.1 million, which was agreed upon with Royal Antwerp after extensive negotiations.
As the summer transfer window opened, United had not intended to acquire a new goalkeeper, as the majority of their budget was allocated to addressing the underperforming forward line.
However, the inconsistent performances of both Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir at the start of the new season prompted the club to change direction and make a last-minute effort to secure Lammens – a long-term target who has been highly regarded by the recruitment team – during the final hours of the transfer deadline.
The arrival of the Belgian player, along with Ruben Amorim’s clear preference for Bayindir, resulted in Onana seeking his own transfer, ultimately joining Turkish club Trabzonspor on a season-long loan.
Bayindir has been the starting goalkeeper for each of United’s first four Premier League matches, including the Manchester Derby over the weekend. However, the 27-year-old goalkeeper has appeared shaky, with several errors failing to validate his coach’s confidence in him.
With a crucial match against Chelsea at Old Trafford scheduled for this weekend, the demand for Lammens to be included in the starting lineup is increasing – and according to experienced goalkeeper Tom Heaton, the Belgium U-21 international has been “very impressive” thus far.
An Impressive Impression
Speaking on the Training Ground Guru podcast (as relayed by TEAMtalk), Heaton states Lammens seems “like a really good lad.”
“He’s calm, but a strong personality. His goalkeeping fundamentals are very impressive and I think I said that to him after a couple of days training!
“Twenty-three years old coming into Manchester United, first few days training and he’s been very impressive so far. I really like his goalkeeping fundamentals.”
Goalkeeping fundamentals have been on short supply for United in recent years. Andre Onana’s ‘style’ is erratic to put it kindly, while Bayindir is short on quality and confidence.
If anything, 39-year-old Heaton – part of Amorim’s six-man leadership team in the dressing room – is likely to be the club’s most sound goalkeeper, despite not having started a competitive match in over two and half years.
While Lammens is certainly inexperienced, the young shot stopper should have little trouble claiming the number one shirt ahead of Bayindir as he he has “dazzled” the other goalkeeper at Old Trafford with only a few training sessions.
Leave a Reply