Manchester, UK – โManchester United completed the signing of Belgian goalkeeper Senne lammens from Royal Antwerpโฃ justโ before the summerโ transfer window โclosed, a moveโ already drawing scrutiny and labeled a “panic purchase” by former Red Devils’ goalkeeper Ben Foster.โฃ The 23-year-old arrives at Old Trafford for a reported fee of โฌ20 millionโข as Manchester United seeks to address โconcerns surrounding the performances of both Andrรฉ Onana and Altay Bayฤฑndฤฑr.
The acquisition of Lammens comes after Manchester United was heavily linked with Aston Villa and Argentina’sโข Emiliano Martรญnez, โwith reports suggesting a personal agreement was even reached. However, the club ultimately pivoted to Lammens, a โคdecision that has raised questions given his relativeโ inexperience with English footballโค and the intense pressure of โคplaying for a club the size โof Manchester United. โข
Foster, speaking on theโฃ Fozcast podcast, was critical โofโค the late move. “Being a United goalkeeper is the โคmost tough goalkeeper โposition in the โฃworld โof football. You need someone with a โvery physical presence,” he stated. โHeโค added, after reviewing footage of Lammens, “I haven’t seen โฃwhat โhe โis like when โขhe controls the ball,โ and โI think he’s aโ panic purchase. โUnited may always have a kind of list of goalkeepers they see and are watchingโฆ but I don’t think they do in-depth โขanalysis. A goalkeeper who wasโฃ bought on theโค last day โฃof the transfer market showed that the club was desperate.”