Aston Villa are reportedly left feeling ‘bitter’ as Manchester United swooped in to secure the signature of Royal Antwerp’s highly-touted goalkeeper, Senne Lammens, despite the Villans offering a more substantial financial package for the 23-year-old.
Unai Emery’s side targeted Lammens on deadline day amidst ongoing uncertainty surrounding their first-choice goalkeeper, Emiliano Martinez. The potential departure of Martinez to Old Trafford was on the cards, which would have paved the way for Lammens to come in as his replacement. However, despite making it known he wanted to leave back in May, Martinez remains at Villa Park.
Manchester United had previously registered their interest in Lammens earlier in the window but only struck a deal in the final throes of the summer transfer period. The addition of Lammens is seen as a bolstering of the Red Devils’ depth in the goalkeeper department, though he isn’t expected to be thrown immediately into Ruben Amorim’s starting XI.
Andre Onana has been holding the fort as United’s number one since the onset of the 2023/24 season. Nevertheless, Amorim has shown preference for Altay Bayindir, maintaining faith in the Turkish international despite blunders like the one that led to Arsenal’s decisive goal in their Premier League opener. Bayindir was at the helm for Fulham and Burnley, helping United secure their first win of the campaign.
Though Amorim’s long-term choice remains uncertain, expectations suggest that Lammens will need to earn the coveted starting spot. However, given Amorim’s apparent lack of trust in Onana and Bayindir’s tendency for errors, Lammens might not face the toughest competition for his place.
Villans’ fans are still reeling from the transfer window saga, particularly as Lammens moved to United for a fee reportedly totalling £18.2 million plus £3.5 million in add-ons—less than what Villa tabled. Frustrations are building as Villa are yet to score or secure a win in their opening matches against Newcastle United, Brentford, and Crystal Palace, casting a shadow over an otherwise promising season under Emery.
The allure of Old Trafford seemingly proved irresistible for Lammens, whose fervour for his ‘dream move’ eclipsed Villa’s tenacity. The Manchester club’s ‘pulling power’ remains formidable, despite United enduring back-to-back poor seasons in the Premier League.
Notably, this transfer power isn’t unique Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko also overlooked other suitors in favour of the allure of United. Lammens captured the sentiment upon signing, reflecting on the club’s daunting aura: “In my team in Antwerp, there were some players who were also in England, and, when I talked to them about Manchester United, you could directly see their face change. The club alone, the aura of the club, it’s massive, and being here today, seeing it, it’s a different level.”
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