Manchester United’s much-awaited splash on deadline day has realised itself in the form of Senne Lammens, who has joined the club.
Senne Lammens joins on a five-year contract for a fee worth an initial £18.1 million with a couple of million more in add-ons, and no sell-on clause.
It brings to a close a topsy-turvy transfer saga that looked locked in on Lammens at one point, before pivoting to Emi Martinez, and then back to the Belgian again.
Now, Man Utd have announced the signing of the player whose vast potential can hopefully be the building block of Ruben Amorim’s first great team.
Man Utd announce Senne Lammens transfer
Senne Lammens’ style of play makes him an exciting player for Man Utd, because Amorim is effectively getting two goalkeepers in one.
He’s a brilliant shot-stopper, and his buildup game is ever improving. More importantly, Lammens made a concerted effort to join Old Trafford.
Jason Wilcox had said when he unveiled Benjamin Sesko that all of United’s signings had made the club their only destination, and Lammens is the same.
Wilcox raved about Lammens’ qualities as the club announced his transfer on United’s official website.
He said: “Senne is an excellent young goalkeeper with great potential; we are delighted that he has chosen to join Manchester United after significant interest from a number of clubs.”
Lammens sounded extremely delighted at securing the move as well, with United being his dream destination, a well-publicised fact much before this move became official.
Lammens can surprise people
Unlike Lammens’ transfer target rival, Emi Martinez, he’s not as nailed on as United’s No. 1 as the Argentinian would have been had he joined.
However, so low has the bar been set by Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir that even basic shot-stopping from Lammens will have him installed as the club’s No. 1.
He’s joining an extremely scrutinised club at the most difficult position, but the expectations have already been managed by his competitors for the No. 1 spot.
He can come in and surprise people, especially because much of his skill set is transferable across leagues, like his height, command of area, and shot-stopping.
He will just need to ace the mental part of the job, since that is what killed Onana’s momentum as well, despite joining as one of Europe’s top goalkeepers at the time.
The only difference is that Onana replaced a club legend, albeit one on the decline, while Lammens can effectively write his own legacy at the club.
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