Why Man Utd signed Lammens ahead of proven Martinez

Manchester United’s decision to pay £18. M for 23-year-old goalkeeper Senne Lammens has a strong influence on “Project 150.”

In September 2024, chief executive Omar Berrada first outlined the plan to aim for the Premier League title in 2028, the year the organization celebrated its 150th anniversary.

In an interview with the reputable United We Stand fanzine in June of this year, Berrada reaffirmed his position, “Why not aim for it”?

The decision was made less than 12 hours before the transfer window was closed in keeping with the overall plan for a better future.

Instead of requesting Emiliano Martinez to lead the M6, which United had hoped would take place almost as soon as the season ended, United instructed Lammens to board a private jet and travel to Manchester.

Sources claim that the issue was simple.

Firstly, United is aware that after the 2024-2005 fiasco, significant improvement is required this season. However, Berrada and the club’s owners are pursuing a bigger goal with “Project 150.”

Martinez is respected by United. They accept that the international from Argentina has Premier League credentials.

He won the World Cup and has competed at the highest levels. He made more errors leading to shots last season (6) than Andre Onana of United, which is unfortunate.

Even head coach Ruben Amorim says: “It’s difficult to be a Manchester United goalkeeper at this time. But Martinez has the personality to deal with that.”

Lammens is on the opposite end of the scale for experience. The 6’4″ stopper has made 93 appearances for the Belgian Pro League, of which only 52 have been made.

In November 2023, Royal Antwerp defeated Porto 2-0 to claim his only Champions League victory. He has yet to receive a full cap despite being first chosen for the Belgium senior squad in March.

However, United pointed to someone who merited closer scrutiny, which minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been working hard to improve.

According to club sources, Lammens ranks highly in key metrics like claimed crosses, shot stopping, preventing goals from rebounds and mistakes, or rather the lack of them.

They claim Lammens also recorded the most “progressive” passes for any goalkeeper under the age of 23 and that he saved more saves than any other goalkeeper in Europe’s top 10 leagues.

Director of football Jason Wilcox stated that Lammens was the subject of “significant interest from a number of clubs” in the statement confirming his arrival.

Crucially, Lammens will be 26 when United reach Berrada’s “Project 150” point, and he should be in his prime. Martinez will have 35 .

Ollie Watkins and Benjamin Sesko, two other Aston Villa players, presented a similar challenge to the Old Trafford hierarchy, it might be argued. They selected Sesko.

The difference is that United had already selected two Premier League players with “oast ready” in Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo for their attacking zone prioritizing this summer.

After the final few days of the deal-making process began to take shape, they made the decision to add Altay Bayindir and Andre Onana to their goalkeeping lineup at the expense of strengthening their midfield.

Lammens was not a recent addition to United’s radar. They spoke to Royal Antwerp earlier this summer after being first connected with him last season.

From that point on, the Belgian was eager to make the move. The clubs’ negotiations broke out again in the middle of last week, and a deal was struck that was activated on Monday morning.

United is aware of the risk involved.

While Onana or Bayindir could still be sold to clubs in the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Greece, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and other countries, the specifics of who will be Amorim’s first-choice goalkeeper are unknown.

Lammens makes strong recommendations, aside from the data.

One of Belgium’s best keepers, Thibaut Courtois, gives him a high recommendation. Former Club Brugge team-mate Simon Mignolet is also in the same boat.

His greatest strength is his shot stopping, according to HLN. Axel Brisart, a reporter for BE’s Royal Antwerp, is here.

He “has great reflexes on the line” and made some excellent saves.

He likes to play ball and is very proactive. Any team looking to add some tempo to their play can use him with great feet and his passing as a big help.

Sesko’s 90-minute appearance at Grimsby in the EFL Cup, which left him with severe cramp at the end of the match, has been made a part of his new life at Old Trafford with a few substitute appearances in the Premier League.

Lammens cannot be treated similarly by Amorim. United won’t play a cup game until January because of that shocking defeat at Blundell Park.

Although the Belgian excels in terms of data, it is crucial to consider both his strengths and weaknesses in terms of perspective.

The 23-year-old has an intimidating frame and is primarily a shot stopper, tall at 6 feet 4 inches tall.

Last year, he recorded the most saves of any keeper in Europe’s top 10 leagues (173) and at an 80% save rate. In goals prevented last season, he was also second only to Anderlecht’s Colin Coosemans.

He frequently anticipates the direction of shots using good footwork, allowing him to position himself behind the ball’s trajectory to catch it.

He advances before holding his position in one-on-one situations, reducing the angle for his or her foes who are dangerously shooting. Given how wide he spreads himself and how frequently he uses his feet to make saves, he is more prone to conceding from quickly taken shots, but his approach is fairly successful in smothering chances.

His crosses stopped percentage, which is the highest in Europe for the past year, is 13.2%.

However, it’s interesting to watch his work at corners and crosses. Lammens is eager to take the ball in an aerial assault. When they are floated high and in unison, he can catch a lot of them because of this.

He ends up stepping out in situations where he is less likely to win the ball, leading to corners scrambles, because he is being proactive. He will need to strike a balance between these two.

His proactivity and confidence are positive traits. His men should benefit Amorim’s men as well as his ability to reduce his opponent’s shooting angles in one-on-one situations.