Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Manchester United have seen plenty of goalkeeper movement this summer, all of which have pushed Senne Lammens into the role of undeniable number one for the long term.
The goalkeeping department has been shaken up this summer, with Andre Onana sent back to Trabzonspor on loan. The arrivals of Karl Darlow and Kit Margetson added depth, while this week has seen some major shifts.
Altay Bayindir has joined Celta Vigo on loan with an option to buy, ending his unsuccessful time at Manchester United. Meanwhile, United’s academy superstar goalkeeper Radek Vitek is being sold to Middlesbrough for a complete package worth up to £14m.
All of this leaves Senne Lammens as the undisputed starter for United, and Bayindir’s exit only makes this more apparent, allowing United to give him further endorsement.
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Manchester United Training Session
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Senne Lammens should be made Manchester United’s ‘number one’
During his debut season, Lammens was signed for the future, but in October, he took over from Bayindir and didn’t look back, nailing his name down as a starter.
He did all of this with number 31 on his back, while Bayindir wore number one and sat on the bench.
But now, Bayindir’s exit allows for Lammens to be made number one, both in number and on the pitch.
This would be a real endorsement for Lammens, as United, 12 months on from signing him as a prospect, are now nailing it to the mast that the Belgian owns that starting berth between the sticks.
United have got rid of any real contenders for the position, as good a back-up as Darlow is, and this tells us that Michael Carrick and the club have zero concerns about who they have chosen to be the goalkeeper.
If there were doubts, keeping Bayindir or Vitek would have been sensible. But selling all other starting rivals and potentially handing him the number one jersey is a telling indication.
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Lammens will face the test of not having competition at United
Last season, Lammens took the place of Bayindir and never lost it. But he will have always had that pressure over his shoulder of a player seen as good enough to start the league season, potentially retaking his place.
But for the 2026/27 season, Lammens won’t have this competition as he is quite clearly the first choice, with Darlow and Tom Heaton not likely to challenge this pecking order.
Lammens will have to keep his motivation and levels as good as they were last season, or he risks fans beginning to talk about how good Vitek will be looking for Middlesbrough.
The cost of Lammens getting the number one jersey and being clearly the senior goalkeeper is that he won’t have to fight for the role. But if he is as good as 2025/26 showed, and continues to get better as expected, then it won’t actually end up being an issue.
Lammens with one on his back does feel right, and we haven’t had a proper #1 since David de Gea. Do it, Manchester United.