Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Altay Bayindir hasn’t played a single minute for Michael Carrick, but he’s set to depart Man Utd, and Senne Lammens is the reason why.
Not even Tyrell Malacia got the sort of ruthless treatment Michael Carrick gave Altay Bayindir, as he played zero minutes for the Man Utd manager.
There was no goodbye appearance when UCL football was secured, and there were no minutes against Atletico Madrid in the last pre-season fixture either.
This ruthlessness and urgency to send Bayindir packing is because Carrick wants to make a statement after Senne Lammens already became Man Utd’s No. 1.
Michael Carrick and Senne Lammens celebrate after the Premier League match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford on January 17, 2026, in Manchester, England.
Photo by Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
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Altay Bayindir is the “Man Utd No. 1”
Senne Lammens usurped Bayindir from the goalkeeping position against Sunderland last year, and he hasn’t relinquished it since then.
As United played only 40 games in all competitions last season, Bayindir didn’t even get a chance to be the backup and play some games.
Exit rumours have surrounded him throughout the season, and much like Malacia, he might have wanted to play one last game for the club.
Carrick gave Malacia that opportunity, but he’s keen to accelerate Bayindir’s exit because he’s technically still “Man Utd No. 1”.
That is because he holds the symbolic No. 1 squad number at Man Utd, which would presumably go to Lammens as soon as he leaves the club.
Lammens has been the No. 1 at United on the pitch, and now it’s time to make him the No. 1 behind his back on his jersey as well.
For that to happen, Bayindir needs to leave before the season begins, because taking away his jersey number before he has left will weaken United’s bargaining position.
Hence the urgency to send Bayindir packing, and the only way to do that is by freezing him out completely.
Carrick happily played Tom Heaton the whole 90 minutes against Atletico, not risking either Radek Vitek or Bayindir, as they both seem to be off.
At this rate, it would be a huge surprise if Bayindir was a Man Utd player by the start of the competitive season on August 22.
Senne Lammens’ Man Utd journey will reach a crescendo
Lammens has already shone at the most difficult position in world football, and actually getting the No. 1 jersey is the final step in his journey to establish himself at the club.
He already poses a unique challenge for Carrick’s man-management skills after his mistake at the World Cup, so backing him with the No. 1 shirt could be exactly what he needs.
He has shown himself to be unflappable under pressure. If anything, he is even better when the scrutiny is intense, so he will welcome the symbolic nature of the No. 1 shirt.
Bayindir will have to make way quickly for Lammens’ Man Utd journey to reach a crescendo. It’s cruel, but that’s football.