Manchester United could see a debut this weekend for Senne Lammens, but his brother was initially unsure about the move to Old Trafford.
Manchester United concluded their 2025 summer window with the £18 million signing of Royal Antwerp goalkeeper Senne Lammens, considered one of the most promising young shot-stoppers in Europe.
Their spending amounts to roughly £215 million up front, with the potential to exceed £240 million if all add-ons are met.
The club also brought in attacking reinforcements in Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Šeško, while teenage left-back Diego Leon was added in July.
Among the outgoings were Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, and Antony, with Alejandro Garnacho’s £40 million move to Chelsea standing out as the biggest sale.
Lammens’ brother felt Galatasaray was the better move
Following Lammens’ transfer, former first-choice goalkeeper André Onana chose to leave the club on loan to Trabzonspor, and with Altay Bayındır failing to impress so far, the Belgian’s debut does not seem too far away.
However, there are questions to be asked about whether the jump from playing in the Belgian Pro League to the Premier League may be too big for a 23-year-old goalkeeper.
Speaking with Het Nieuwsblad, Lammens’ brother, Tom, has explained that he initially thought that Galatasaray may have been the better move, as the shot-stopper would have been competing for trophies and playing in the Champions League.
“There’s a lot of quality, you play for trophies there [Gala], and Senne could perhaps immediately make his mark in the Champions League,” Tom said.
“I was initially sceptical about a move to United, because many players there had already succumbed to the pressure and couldn’t reach their full potential.”
Why Lammens chose to sign for United
However, Tom Lammens went on to explain that, ultimately, Lammens wanted to make the move to Old Trafford over a transfer to Turkey.
Further, he clarified that a big reason for the move was that United’s goalkeeper scout, Tony Coton, who is not often spoken about in the press, had been following his brother for almost a year.
“But ultimately, it was Senne who had to make the decision,” Tom continued. “United gave him the best feeling. Partly because Tony Coton, United’s goalkeeping scout, had been following him for almost a year and was very convinced of his qualities.
“It would also be great if the club could return to its former glory and if Senne could contribute to that.”
With Bayındır looking shaky and conceding three goals against Manchester City, and United’s next fixture set to take place at Old Trafford, Senne Lammens could well make his debut when the Reds face Chelsea on Saturday afternoon.
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