Schmeichel questions United's goalkeeper pick after signing Senne Lammens
Former United stopper says Emi Martinez or Gianluigi Donnarumma would have been better fits than 23-year-old Senne Lammens as Onana heads on loan to Trabzonspor
Peter Schmeichel has questioned Manchester United's goalkeeper recruitment, saying the club bought the wrong goalkeeper after agreeing to sign £21 million Senne Lammens. The Manchester United legend told SunSport via Sky Bet that he had never heard of Lammens before the link to the 23-year-old Belgian and urged United to pursue different options. 'We should have signed Emi Martinez. In fact, we should have gone for Gianluigi Donnarumma when we had the chance.'
Schmeichel argued that Martinez would have brought a level of experience and presence needed at Old Trafford, and that Donnarumma would have represented a higher-caliber alternative. Martinez was eager to join United but stayed at Villa Park, while Donnarumma ultimately joined Manchester City and starred in their derby win over United last weekend. The club, meanwhile, has seen Andre Onana head to Trabzonspor on loan, and United were connected with both Martinez and Donnarumma during the summer window, leaving some observers to question the wisdom of the Lammens signing.
Lammens, 23, is described as a top prospect whose numbers across the top European leagues have attracted attention. Yet Schmeichel cautioned that statistics do not tell the full story of how a goalkeeper will cope under pressure at Manchester United. 'Stats don't show how you react after a mistake, or how you cope with the pressure of Manchester United.' The former United and Premier League great described Lammens as a risk, contrasting him with proven options who were available.
Lammens remains waiting for his United debut, with Altay Bayındır having been handed the nod to start the derby in the meantime. Fans will be hoping to see Lammens in a United shirt soon, especially with Saturday's late kick-off against Chelsea looming and Ruben Amorim facing a major selection decision to balance the new signing with existing options.
Schmeichel's public remarks have added to a season already marked by his outspoken commentary on other clubs. On ViaPlay this season, he criticized Arsenal's brand of football after their 1-0 defeat by Liverpool, saying their approach is designed to exploit mistakes and slow tempo, and urging Arteta to let his team play more freely. 'Arteta, let your team play football! Let them loose, let them be free,' he said, underscoring the broader debate around managerial styles and player confidence at the start of the campaign.