Lammens still waiting for United debut after £18m arrival

Manchester United finally announced the £18.1 million signing of Senne Lammens on deadline day, a move that wrapped up late in the window and left the 23-year-old Belgian goalkeeper heading into the United ranks with high expectations but no immediate first-team role. The transfer, completed at 10 p.m. on deadline day—five hours after the window closed—came after United had identified Lammens as a potential long-term solution between the posts, with a late push for Emiliano Martínez ultimately not materializing.

Lammens has since joined a goalkeeping group that includes Altay Bayındır, with manager Ruben Amorim emphasising the need for patience as the new arrival adjusts to a different league, country and set of pressures. Amorim indicated that while Lammens has shown promise in training, the Premier League demands a blend of maturity and experience that cannot be rushed. “He has a lot of potential but we also have to look at the present and we are in a moment that the goalkeeper needs to be really strong and have a lot of experience,” Amorim said in a recent news conference. “It is a different league, different country, different ball.”

Lammens’ arrival was framed by United as a forward-planning purchase, with the club stressing that he was bought with the future in mind. In Royal Antwerp, the Belgium Under-21 international had built a profile as a shot-stopper with range and composure beyond his years. He signed a deal reported at £18.1 million and quickly moved into the club’s residential setup, stepping out of hotel life as he settled into life in England and a club culture with a long Premier League history.

The decision to proceed with Lammens over Martínez shortly after the window closed sparked debate among pundits and supporters about how soon he might be required to contribute. A rapid adaptation to the speed, physicality and intensity of English football is a tall order for a player with a relatively modest number of senior appearances. Lammens has, however, earned endorsements from senior teammates and former pros who see a projectable future. Tom Heaton, United’s number three goalkeeper, voiced early confidence in the signing during an interview with the Training Ground Guru podcast, saying: “He has a strong personality. His goalkeeping fundamentals are very impressive. I said that to him after a couple of days’ training. He’s been very impressive so far.”

Last season, Lammens made 30 appearances in Belgium’s top flight for Antwerp, recording seven clean sheets and 173 saves. That saves tally was the highest in Europe’s top-10 leagues, while he saved four penalties, the most by any player in Europe in that metric. Opta data highlighted a 77.4 percent save percentage and a 71.5 percent passing accuracy, with a goals prevented figure of 18.4—numbers that underscored why United moved to secure a long-term option at the position. Former Belgium international Toby Alderweireld praised Lammens, saying: “Senne is young and has a big frame. He’ll be a perfect fit in England.”

With that said, there remains a clear question about when Lammens will be thrown into competitive action for United. Amorim’s early stance suggested a cautious approach, rather than a crash into the first team. The timing of a debut has become a focal point for supporters, media and the wider football community, especially given the competition in the goalkeeping ranks. Altay Bayındır, who arrived in 2023 for a modest fee, had started six of the previous seven league games before the latest fixtures and retained his place through a 3-0 loss at Manchester City and a 1-0 victory over Chelsea. In those fixtures, Bayındır’s performance metrics exposed the challenge of being a trusted starter.

Opta’s ongoing analysis shows that among goalkeepers with more than two Premier League appearances this season, Bayındır ranks 16th in save percentage (50 percent). His tendency to concede at a higher rate than expected has also been a concern; eight goals conceded against an expected goals against total of 7.14 placed him 17th in that metric. In terms of distribution, Bayındır sits lower in the rankings for passing accuracy and long-pass accuracy, which factors into the management’s thinking about how and when to use Lammens in a challenging league where precision with the ball at a goalkeeper’s feet is increasingly scrutinized.

Despite the numbers, the overarching belief among United insiders is that Lammens will get his chance sooner rather than later. The argument centers on the need to balance immediate results with long-term development. If time is a precious commodity for a young keeper, Amorim must weigh the risks of exposing a rookie in the high-stakes atmosphere of a Manchester derby or any high-pressure contest against the potential rewards of giving him a measured introduction in a less daunting environment. The schedule has offered no soft landing, particularly after United’s exit from the EFL Cup to Grimsby Town early in Lammens’ tenure in the squad, a setback that removed a potential transitional pathway into match sharpness in a less consequential setting. The absence of an easier route has added another layer of complexity to the decision, with Amorim needing to protect the confidence and development trajectory of a player who has not yet started more than a single full season as a number one.

There has also been an important cultural and logistical adjustment for Lammens off the field. The Belgian shot-stopper has moved toward a more established home life in Manchester, with staff noting his calm demeanor and maturity for his age as factors that could help him respond positively to the pace and pressure of the Premier League. The presence of a settled living arrangement, rather than a constant hotel lifestyle, is viewed as supportive of a successful assimilation phase. Lammens’ own comments have underscored his mindset: a dream turned into a challenge, with his insistence that the move could be the beginning of something special for his career. He described the transfer as “a dream come true” and expressed optimism that it marked the start of a new chapter.

From a broader perspective, the club’s strategy around Lammens reflects a broader trend in which Manchester United signals a greater willingness to invest in young goalkeepers who can be developed within a high-performance framework. The thinking is that a player with Lammens’ physical profile and shot-stopping ability, when nurtured correctly, could provide lasting value beyond a few seasons of first-team exposure. Yet for now, the path to the starting XI remains blocked by a combination of tactical considerations and the need for consistent performances in a league where errors are punished quickly.

As supporters speculate about when Lammens will finally be entrusted with a Premier League start, the management’s approach continues to be to hedge against premature exposure. The decision will hinge on a mix of performance in training, the ability to handle the psychological demands of the top tier, and the readiness of the rest of United’s squad to provide the necessary support. The window to get Lammens into match action could come in a variety of contexts, from cup fixtures to league matches that test him without overwhelming him. The club will likely be watching closely to determine the earliest point at which he can translate his evident potential into consistent contributions for a team chasing success on multiple fronts.

Until that moment arrives, Lammens will remain a compelling case study in modern goalkeeping development: a talented youngster with a world-class ceiling, a club carefully managing his introduction, and a league that will demand patience even as it demands results. As Amorim has indicated, the key is not simply to rush a debut but to ensure that when it comes, it reflects the best possible preparation. If there is a timetable to be followed, it will be guided by a combination of performance signals, competitive balance, and the evolving needs of a Manchester United squad that has shown both ambition and a commitment to gradual growth in its goalkeeping ranks.