2 weeks ago
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Record fee for Antwerp
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Manchester United’s goalkeeper department has been a hot topic at the start of this season. Altay Bayindir lost them their Premier League opener against Arsenal with a a glaring error and André Onana was also culpable in the embarrassing League Cup exit to Grimsby. Onana has failed to impress across an error-strewn two seasons at Old Trafford and Ruben Amorim clearly isn’t convinced by the Cameroon international.
United briefed earlier this summer that they weren't in the market for a goalkeeper but that's changed in recent weeks and they've now agreed terms with Royal Antwerp for Senne Lammens. It's understood that United will pay €21 million plus add-ons for the highly-rated 23-year-old. Transfermarkt, understands, from reliable sources in Belgium that United have scouted the Royal Antwerp goalkeeper extensively since last September. Lammens remains relatively unknown in England and we’ve provided a lowdown on the talented goalkeeper with expert insight from Belgium.
The view from Belgium on Senne Lammens
Lammens progressed through the youth ranks at Club Brugge but made just four professional appearances for the Belgian giants. The 23-year-old departed on a free transfer for Royal Antwerp two summers ago and Bart Tamsyn, Transfermarkt’s Area Manager for Belgium and former Brugge scout, explains why.
Tamsin said: “At Brugge, Lammens was already considered by the whole of Belgium to be a great goalkeeping talent, perhaps the greatest not to have come through the KRC Genk academy. However, he had the misfortune of being blocked by Simon Mignolet. That is why he decided not to renew his contract and to move to Antwerp in the summer of 2023. There, he was initially Jean Butez's understudy, before becoming first-choice goalkeeper last season.”
What are Senne Lammens’ strengths and weaknesses?
Lammens is widely viewed in Belgium as the long-term replacement for Thibaut Courtois with the national team. His underlying numbers highlight his incredible potential and he possesses an impressive skillset, but there’s naturally areas for improvement. Tamsyn explains: “Lammens has an incredibly strong mentality and remains calm in all circumstances. He also proved last season that he has real goalkeeping qualities, as no one made more saves in the Jupiler Pro League than he did. In addition, Lammens is a goalkeeper who looks for the footballing solution and is comfortable with both his right and left foot.
On areas to improve, Tamsyn added: “To be truly top-class, he just needs to improve his accuracy. He dares to make a mistake every game, usually because he still lacks experience in certain situations. These are usually minor mistakes, such as a poor kick, but a few have led to goals being conceded due to a misplaced pass or misjudgement of the situation. However, given that he has only just completed his first season as first-choice goalkeeper, he certainly has room for improvement.”
Antwerp’s transfer stance on Senne Lammens
Lammens’ current market value on Transfermarkt stands at €9 million, after soaring by €7.5m last season due to his impressive performances. United, however, will need to pay in excess of that valuation to sign him this summer and Transfermarkt understood that Antwerp’s asking price was always around €20m. The €20m figure represents Antwerp’s record sale from Arthur Vermeeren’s departure for Atletico Madrid in January 2024 and Lammens will now become their record sale.
