Manchester United have made some massive mistakes in the transfer market in recent times, but Senne Lammens is not one of them
Senne Lammens has been a revelation since joining Manchester United (Image: Johnnie Izquierdo/USSF/Getty Images)
Some reports have claimed Andre Onana wants to return to Manchester United in the summer, in a bid to win back his place in the team. Memo to Andre – I wouldn’t bother mate.
It remains to be seen if Onana chooses to extend his loan spell with Turkish side Trabzonspor. He is not short of admirers there, including the club’s president Ertugrul Dogan.
Dogan is desperate for the deal to become permanent, following the goalkeeper’s match winning performance in the Turkish cup. But the love he has in Eastern Europe is not mirrored back in Manchester. Because all the affection Onana once craved at Old Trafford, now belongs to his successor.
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Senne Lammens didn’t arrived in Manchester with a big reputation when he joined United from Royal Antwerp for just £18.2m in September. But in the space of less than eight months he has earned himself one. Nothing outlined how crucial Lammens has become to United’s recent success than his performance in Monday night’s home win over Brentford.
The Belgian produced a string of stunning saves to frustrate the visitors. It felt like a microcosm of Lammens’ whole season. United have made some blundering mistakes in the transfer market in recent times. But choosing Lammens ahead of a deal to lure World Cup winner Emiliano Martinez to Old Trafford wasn’t one of them.
And there can be fewer compliments higher than this, considering Martinez remains one of the best keepers in the world. Those who work in football claim keepers are different to outfield players. Not just in terms of their position and role in a game, but also their approach to them. Some have even suggested those in the keeper union are borderline bonkers.
But if Lammens belongs to this group, he does little to suggest this is true. The 23-year-old is the epitome of composure, class and calm. He puts this down to the upbringing he had from his parents in Zottegem.
Since turning professional, he has poured over books about sporting icons like Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan, in a bid to discover what makes them tick. He writes messages to himself on little notes before kick off. He reads them in the dressing room, and has even been known to attach some to his water bottle to take out onto the pitch. Reminders of what he must focus on to keep cool under pressure – and be the best he can be.
And in his spare time he is reluctant to watch football. Perhaps he should, because if he caught a glimpse of some reruns of United games, he would be impressed with himself. But United appear to have found the first genuine successor to their last great goalkeeper, David De Gea.
Lammens has the bulk of his career ahead of him – and United must hope it is spent in the red half of Manchester. Because he has solved one of the major problems United had to fix.