Manchester United sign Senne Lammens for £18.2m, adding competition to their crowded goalkeeping ranks

Manchester United have completed the Deadline Day signing of Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp in a deal worth £18.2 million plus add-ons.

The 23-year-old arrives at Old Trafford after a standout season in the Belgian Pro League, where he made 30 appearances, kept seven clean sheets, and topped Europe’s charts for saves in the top 10 leagues. Lammens also posted one of the highest “goals prevented” metrics in Europe, while impressing with his distribution — making more progressive passes than any other goalkeeper under the age of 23.

United turned to Lammens after weighing up more experienced options, including Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martínez. Ultimately, the club’s recruitment team, led by director of football Jason Wilcox, concluded that Lammens’ potential and immediate ability made him the right fit.

“He’s an excellent young goalkeeper with great potential,” Wilcox said. “We are delighted he has chosen United after significant interest from a number of clubs.”

Lammens himself expressed excitement about the move: “You can feel the positive atmosphere being created here, and I know I can make a real impact. This is the perfect place to keep developing, grow with this exciting team and achieve my career objectives.”

The Belgian becomes United’s fifth signing of the summer under head coach Ruben Amorim, following the arrivals of Benjamin Šeško, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Diego León. His signing takes the club’s summer spending to £232m.

Lammens joins a crowded goalkeeping department at Old Trafford that already includes André Onana, Altay Bayındır and veteran Tom Heaton. However, with the transfer windows in Turkey and Saudi Arabia open until 10 and 11 September respectively, one or more departures remain possible.

Amorim had publicly backed his goalkeepers despite high-profile mistakes by both Onana and Bayındır this season. But privately, the manager and his staff were concerned about reliability and consistency between the posts. United see Lammens as both immediate competition and a long-term option, with the Belgian tipped in his homeland as a potential successor to Thibaut Courtois.

Sky Sports’ Danyal Khan noted that United’s interest in Lammens goes back several years: “When Amorim was at Sporting, he tracked him then. Although Lammens has only one season as a first-choice keeper, his shot-stopping stats are outstanding. He’s calm, mentally strong, and seen as a rising star in Belgium. United believe he can push for the No 1 spot sooner rather than later.”

Football analyst Kevin Hatchard echoed that assessment. “He’s very calm under pressure. The mentality is good, and coaches in Belgium have rated him highly for years. It’s a huge leap to be No 1 at Manchester United, but the raw talent is there.”

Royal Antwerp, who signed Lammens from Club Brugge just two years ago, stand to make nearly 100% profit on the deal. The move caps a rapid rise for a goalkeeper who once struggled for minutes behind Simon Mignolet at Brugge but has now secured a transfer to one of the world’s most high-profile clubs.

As things stand, United will carry four goalkeepers into the new season, but all eyes will be on Amorim’s selections in the coming weeks. Whether Lammens is eased in as backup or given a chance to challenge immediately, United’s Deadline Day swoop suggests serious doubts remain over their current hierarchy