Man Utd will play Aston Villa on Sunday and the two goalkeepers were both targets at Old Trafford in the summer transfer window.
Senne Lammens
Senne Lammens has had a solid start to his United career
View Image
As Manchester United sought to add a goalkeeper to their squad in the closing days and hours of the summer transfer window, they had two No.1s waiting by the phone ready to receive the call. United's transfer executives were weighing up moves for Senne Lammens and Emiliano Martinez, two goalkeepers at very different stages of their careers.
Lammens, 23, had never played outside of Belgium and had fewer than 100 games under his belt at this stage, of which only 68 had been in the top division. Martinez was a World Cup winner, a two-time winner of the Yashin Trophy for the world's best goalkeeper and had 250 Premier League games under his belt. He might have been about to turn 33, but he still had plenty to offer.
In the end, United's transfer pivot towards youth and data won the battle. Lammens arrived as United's most inexperienced first-choice goalkeeper for a long time. He has had a solid start to his Old Trafford career, if not spectacular, and didn't have a great game against Bournemouth on Monday.
But there is clear potential there. Lammens is a calm goalkeeper who always looks unflustered. His kicking has been secure and he has spread confidence through the defence thanks to his serenity, something that had been lacking in recent seasons.
Martinez had set his heart on a move to United. He had tears in his eyes as he waved to the Villa fans at the end of last season in a move that seemed to signal he would be on his way in the summer. Even on deadline day, a switch to Old Trafford looked a possibility.
For whatever reason, it never materialised. Marco Bizot began the season in goal for Villa, but when Martinez stayed, Unai Emery brought him back in, and he has once again been outstanding at Villa Park, a key figure in what is an unlikely push to enter the title race throughout the first half of the season.
Villa will certainly be the favourites on Sunday. They have won nine in a row in all competitions and 15 of their last 17 games, a remarkable run of form that has propelled them into contention after a disappointing start. You would expect Lammens to be the busier goalkeeper.
That's if Martinez even makes it. He has missed the last two games due to a back injury, and given the possibility of him having another strong performance to deny the club that considered signing him just four months ago, it might be easier for Ruben Amorim if he is unavailable.
It's far too early to judge the success or otherwise of Lammens, who is clearly a goalkeeper still learning his trade. If United had made their decision based on the goalkeeper likely to be a better performer this season, then they would have gone for Martinez. However, under Ineos, there has been a shift towards long-term thinking.
When United signed Lammens from Royal Antwerp for £21.7million, director of football Jason Wilcox highlighted his "potential" and after making his debut, Amorim admitted to being surprised by the impact the young goalkeeper had made. His rock-solid debut against Sunderland earned him those comparisons with Peter Schmeichel from the Stretford End.
It was never going to be an entirely smooth journey for Lammens, however, and there is maybe just the hint of a question or two being asked now, although he clearly remains United's best option in goal. The alternative was to sign someone else, and that someone else could well be at the opposite end of the pitch this weekend.