Manchester United are approaching post-Peter Schmeichel territory in their goalkeeping ranks, with that department having now seen so much upheaval over recent seasons.
Indeed, Andre Onana - now on loan at Turkish side Trabzonspor - has certainly shown shades of Fabian Barthez during his disastrous Old Trafford stint, arriving with a notable reputation, much like the Frenchman, albeit while ultimately departing as another error-strewn maverick.
Onana-Man-Utd-Grimsby
Described as "one of the worst goalkeepers" in the club's history by Nemanja Matic ahead of the first-leg Europa League tie with Lyon last season - a game in which Onana made two notable errors - the 29-year-old failed to convince right from the outset.
First impressions are vital, with the Cameroonian's first taste of Old Trafford seeing him caught out by an outrageous long-range effort in the pre-season clash with Lens in that summer of 2023. That was a sign of things to come.
While United were arguably right to send David De Gea on his way, recent evidence would suggest they settled on the wrong replacement. Can new man Senne Lammens fare any better?
Why Man Utd have signed Senne Lammens
The £17m signing from Royal Antwerp will have to wait to make his Red Devils debut, with Ruben Amorim confirming that Altay Bayindir will retain his place in the sticks for the Manchester derby, despite enduring a shaky start to the new campaign.
Such a decision may have alarm bells ringing already, not least amid claims that Amorim was focused on signing Aston Villa's Emi Martinez instead, only for the financial package of that deal to prove prohibitive.
There may be a sense that the former Sporting CP boss doesn't quite have the faith in his young new arrival as yet. Alternatively, perhaps he is merely protecting the Belgian from what would likely be a tiresome comparison with new Manchester City stopper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, at the opposite end.
senne-lammens-royal-antwerp
Either way, at just 23, Lammens represents a player of potential rather than a ready-made, proven solution, with 2024/25 having actually been his first as a first-choice option at senior level.
What a season it was, however, with BBC Sport's Umir Irfan noting that 'of all goalkeepers in Europe's top ten leagues last season, Lammens ranked first for total saves made (173) with a 77.4% save percentage.'
As per FBref too, he ranks in the top 1% of his peers for crosses stopped, in the top 7% for penalties saved and in the top 9% for save percentage. With a goals prevented record of 14.8 to boot, this is arguably a player of young De Gea quality.
That being said, his route to regular football in Manchester will not be a straightforward one - and not just because of the presence of Bayindir...
Why Radek Vitek could be the actual Onana replacement
It would be a surprise for Lammens not to have usurped the Turkish international by the end of this season, with the former Fenerbahce man so regularly underwhelming in a United shirt - his opening day calamity against Arsenal a perfect case in point.
Bayindir-Man-Utd
When 2026/27 rolls around, however, there will be renewed competition amid the expected return of Radek Vitek from his loan spell at Bristol City, with the Czech giant already earning rave reviews at Ashton Gate.
The 6 foot 6 starlet - who has been part of United's academy set-up since 2020 - made 18 appearances for Accrington Stanley at the end of the 2023/24 season, before joining Austrian side Blau-Weiss Linz last term.
Vitek - 24/25 League stats
Stat (*per game)
Games (starts)
Goals conceded
Goals conceded*
Saves
Saves*
Clean sheets
Touches*
Error leading to goal
Error leading to shot
Stats via Sofascore
That season-long loan saw the 21-year-old concede just 35 goals in 26 starts in the Bundesliga, keeping six clean sheets in that time and making just a solitary error leading to a shot. There were no errors leading to a goal, as per Sofascore.
Such fine form has been replicated in his early days in the Championship, with Vitek kicking things off with a commanding debut display in the thumping 4-1 win over Sheffield United.
Radek-Vitek-Man-Utd
That was followed by "another top performance" in the 0-0 draw with Charlton Athletic, as per the Daily Mail's Nathan Salt, with the United correspondent even suggesting that his "value is about to rocket this season".
With high points that include his standout save to deny Oli McBurnie against Hull City, Vitek is very much making the most of this chance to shine in England's second tier, with a more prominent role back at United perhaps on the cards later down the line.
Having signed a new deal prior to joining the Robins on loan, MEN's Samuel Luckhurst has made the point that academy players who seal a loan to the Championship are often viewed as players who can one day make an impact in United's first team. Just look at the rise of Amad following his stellar season at Sunderland.
And so, while another experienced option might well be considered next summer, alongside the possibility of Lammens cementing that position for himself, United can be safe in the knowledge that they potentially have the perfect Onana replacement already in-house.