Belgian Senne Lammens has become Manchester United’s latest goalkeeper signing on deadline day, swapping Royal Antwerp for Old Trafford for a fee of €21million (£18.2m) plus €4m in add-ons.
It is a swift change in transfer strategy so late in the window.Bringing in a new goalkeeper had been viewed as a stretch for United this summer; an opportunity they would only pursue after the sale of either Andre Onana or Altay Bayindir.
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That stance changed after the opening weekend defeat against Arsenal, with a Bayindir error proving costly in the 1-0 loss. Things were further compounded by Onana’s mistakes in United’s League Cup defeat by Grimsby Town.
A move for Lammens over Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez or Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League-winning goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma represents a shift in how United wish to address their goalkeeping situation. The 23-year-old was not scouted and recruited with the expectation of stepping straight into a starting role but the struggles of the two goalkeepers ahead of him may lead him to become United’s No 1 sooner rather than later.
What was intended as a long-term project could soon turn into a baptism of fire, highlighting the scrutiny that comes with becoming a goalkeeper at Old Trafford.
It’s a lot of pressure — especially for someone with one full season in the Belgian top flight as Royal Antwerp’s undisputed No 1.
Want to know more on what Lammens will bring to Ruben Amorim’s squad? Here is The Athletic’s guide…
A warm United welcome to our new goalkeeper: Senne Lammens! 🧤🇧🇪
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 1, 2025
Lammens’ arrival will increase competition but he will not initially replace Onana as Ruben Amorim’s first-choice goalkeeper. It is hoped Lammens will be a second-choice who could compete with the Cameroon international when needed, as well as provide cover when he departs for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in December.
Lammens’ most notable trait comes with his shot-stopping. His post-shot expected goals (PSxG) differential of +14.5 ranked second in the Belgian Pro League last season, behind only Gent’s Davy Roef (+16.7), and third overall of Europe’s top eight leagues.
In layman’s terms, there’s good reason to believe he prevented Antwerp from conceding more than a dozen additional goals last season.
He made more saves than any other goalkeeper (127) and recorded the league’s highest shot-to-save ratio at 81.4 per cent. He also saved five of the seven penalties he has faced since the beginning of last season, underlining his ability in high-pressure moments. No goalkeeper across Europe’s top-10 leagues has saved more penalties during that run than the Belgium Under-21 international.
📁 Season 24/25
↳📂 Player of the Season
↳📂 Senne Lammens pic.twitter.com/Mbaphjb7Ye— Royal Antwerp FC (@official_rafc) June 19, 2025
The style of his saves can be reminiscent of some of United’s most beloved goalkeepers. In one-versus-one situations, he is quick off his line, closing down angles with speed and aggression.
What sets him apart from other young goalkeepers is how well he keeps his chest square to the ball and stays balanced until the last second, which forces attackers into decisions they do not want to make. The way he uses his feet in tight moments is reminiscent of David de Gea at his pre-2019 peak for United, spreading himself late and using his legs in close-range situations.
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Lammens, much like De Gea, is fond of the “block technique” (those familiar with cricket will notice the similarities it has with the ‘long-barrier’ method).
In close-contact situations, and while facing shots inside his box, he prefers to start closer to his line, giving him an extra fraction of a second to read the situation…
… before he quickly moves a few steps forward to close down the angle before the shot.
His footwork is sharp and balanced, allowing him to be ready to explode in either direction once a shot is struck.
However, there are some risks come with his approach. Because Lammens likes to step forward and close the angle, there are moments when he gets caught on the move and arrives late into his set position, which makes saving a shot more difficult. His aggressive positioning has also seen him pulled outside the frame of the goal at times, opening up spaces that attackers love to exploit.
In a game against KVC Westerlo in the Belgian top flight last November, Lammens was pulled out wide on two occasions when a more composed approach would have served better. He managed to correct this error by saving the penalty he had conceded in the 37th minute.
But, in the 45th minute, he was lured off his line and left his goal exposed after overcommitting at the near post.
These are errors that will be ruthlessly punished in the Premier League.
Beyond his shot-stopping, Lammens has shown a willingness to compete in the air. He stopped more crosses than any other goalkeeper in Belgium last season (44), comfortably ahead of his closest competitor. That confidence in coming for the ball eases pressure on defenders and changes the dynamic in crowded penalty-box situations.
He often looks to attack deliveries and get to the ball first — similar to Aston Villa’s Martinez.
That aerial dominance is a crucial quality United have been missing from their goalkeepers in the past couple of seasons.
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However, Lammens has yet to find the right balance between when to claim a high ball and when to wait an extra beat. His aggression occasionally leads him to over exert himself, leaving his goal exposed. When it comes to claiming high balls, he is not at the level of Premier League leading lights Martinez or Arsenal’s David Raya.
Goalkeeping coaches will say it is easier to refine a goalkeeper who is too ambitious than one who is hesitant. Fans, however, would warn that a goalkeeper who flaps at crosses and corners can become an easy target in the English top flight. If Lammens can learn to channel his assertiveness with greater precision, then it could become an asset to United. If he remains over-aggressive and off-balance, it could become a weakness that opposition teams will look to exploit.
Predominantly right-footed but confident and capable with his left, Lammens rarely looks uncomfortable when pressed, which also helps explain United’s interest.
The variation and flexibility of his two-footed approach have helped him become one of the most active passers in Belgium last season, ranking fourth in total passes completed (859) and fifth in pass completion percentage (76.5 per cent). Comfortable playing short but equally willing to go longer, Lammens ticks many boxes required from a modern goalkeeper.
Pleasingly, his distribution is not limited to his feet either. He attempted more throws than any other goalkeeper in the Belgian league (167), often long and accurate, sparking quick counter-attacks in a way that will remind older United fans of Peter Schmeichel.
However (there’s that word again), this can sometimes spill into overconfidence. The clearest example came in Antwerp’s 2-0 Champions League group-stage defeat by Porto in November 2023, his only appearance in the competition.
Under pressure from Mehdi Taremi in the 15th minute, he delayed too long on the ball before attempting a long clearance, which was blocked and nearly turned into a goal. It was a reminder, if it was needed, that errors can be exposed quickly at the top level.
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Lammens, despite his youth, plays with an edge and confidence that suggests he relishes competition. He is a front-footed modern goalkeeper, vocal and unapologetically expressive when producing big saves, and should be more than a capable understudy for Onana — or even more than that, if required.
At 6ft 4in (193cm), he is tall. Though he may need time to acclimatise to the physical challenges of the Premier League, he is the kind of visible presence that can steady a back line and energise a crowd, the sort of character that Amorim wants.
Though not the finished product, he will offer United something different and, like striker Benjamin Sesko, is a young player with high potential.
United are not signing him to solve their immediate problems, but he has the potential to grow into a long-term solution.
(Top photo: Tom Goyvaerts/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)
