Old rivals Leeds & Manchester United have both been linked with the same new goalkeeper - but just how good is he?
It’s fair to say that Leeds United and Manchester United don’t get on very well – and when the two clubs do transfer business together, it’s tended to lead to anger, resentment and ructions. Now, reports suggest that the race for a new signing could renew United’s unpopularity over the Yorkshire border.
If United were to pip Leeds to the post in the battle to sign goalkeeper Senne Lammens, then it wouldn’t quite have the same emotional impact as the deals which took Eric Cantona or Rio Ferdinand to Old Trafford, but in the context of Leeds’ attempts to avoid relegation next season, it could be just as impactful in its own way…
Who is Senne Lammens, and why are Leeds & Manchester United linked?
Lammens wasn’t a name that many knew outside of Belgium this time last year. After all, the goalkeeper, who turned 23 earlier in July, only took over starting duties at Royal Antwerp at the beginning of the 2024/25 season – but within months, he had scouts across the continent frantically penning reports.
The imposing 6’4” stopper, who has yet to be capped at senior level but has turned out for Belgium’s Under-21s, has wound up on the radar of both United and Leeds as a result, with both sides exploring deals for a new goalkeeper.
TBR Football are among the outlets to have built on initial reports from the Belgian press which suggest that the two teams are monitoring Lammens, who is supposedly available for a transfer fee of around €20m (£17m).
For Manchester United, Lammens would likely arrive as a back-up to André Onana, albeit one with a fine chance of winning the starting spot should the Cameroonian’s frustrating form continue into the new campaign.
A hamstring injury which will keep Onana out of the remainder of pre-season has not only made the signing of a new goalkeeper more urgent, but also opened the door for a player like Lammens to make a mark rather than simply sit on the bench behind a more experienced counterpart.
Leeds, meanwhile, are scanning the market for a replacement for Illan Meslier who, much like Onana, has dropped enough clangers to have worn down the patience of the fans. Meslier is widely expected to leave Elland Road, and Lammens has been linked as a possible replacement alongside better-known names such as Nick Pope.
With Leeds, Lammens would very likely be signed not as a back-up but as the new number one. It would be a lot of pressure and responsibility to place on a young and inexperienced player’s shoulders – but everything we’ve seen in Belgium from him suggests that he has the quality to cope.
Why Lammens has become such hot property this summer
To say that Lammens impressed after taking over starting duties in Antwerp would be something of an understatement. He swiftly proved to be a superb shot-stopper who commanded his area magnificently – and the stats suggest that he was among the best in Europe over the course of the past year.
He made 127 saves at a towering 81.4% success rate during the main portion of the Belgian Pro League – that’s 5% better than any goalkeeper in the Premier League managed, with Robert Sánchez’s 76.4% the high bar set in 2024/25.
Such stats often come with the caveat that he was playing at a rather lower level, but he wasn’t just dealing with shots struck straight down his throat – according to the xG model, he prevented 14.5 league goals in 30 games last season. The best in the Premier League by the same metric was Ederson, who was a comparatively paltry 5.0 goals up on the average, albeit having played fewer matches.
He also dealt successfully with an excellent 11.2% of crosses into his penalty area, which would have been good for third place in the Premier League behind Sánchez, David Raya and Aro Murić, and showed plenty of confidence under the high ball as well as a willingness to use his height and physical presence.
Even in the Belgian Pro League, such statistic hint at a massive talent, even if the tiny sample size available means that it’s hard to say just how far he can go or how long he can maintain those standards. There is always a gamble involved in signing a player with only one season under their belt, especially in goal, but Lammens passes the eye test and has put up numbers that any goalkeeper would be jealous of.
There is one concern – he doesn’t fit the popular modern archetype of the sweeper-keeper and tends to stick closely to his box, showing little inclination to rush out and deal with balls over the top.
Whether that’s because of a lack of confidence or technical aptitude with the ball, or simply because Antwerp’s coach asked to hang back, isn’t especially clear at such an early stage of his career, but it’s something any potential purchaser should be aware of – especially Leeds, who tend to play a high defensive line under Daniel Farke. If he isn’t able to sweep up passes in behind the back four, then he could create a significant vulnerability.
Still, if Farke is confident that he can indeed deal with those long balls one way or another, then signing Lammens could be the kind of high-risk, high-reward roll of the dice that Leeds will need to make in order not only to stay up, but to build a young squad that can thrive in the Premier League for years to come.
Equally, Manchester United could have the same opportunity – and could give Leeds yet another black eye in the transfer window in the process. It’s been a while, after all, and Lammens did supposedly tell the local media that United’s supposed interest was “special.” It certainly sounded as though he wouldn’t mind shopping for a new house in Salford.
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