Senne Lammens: Man United star is one of world’s most valuable goalkeepers | OneFootball

Even the most optimistic Manchester United fans could not have expected Senne Lammens to perform so well in his debut season with the club. The 23-year-old has been consistently tremendous across his first campaign with the Red Devils, making some huge saves and looking incredibly assured between the sticks.

There was little fanfare when Lammens arrived at Old Trafford from Royal Antwerp in a deal worth an initial £18.1 million. He was a goalkeeper with clear potential, but some pundits and fans felt that the 23-year-old did not have the experience required to take on the daunting task of being Manchester United’s first-choice keeper.

However, after just one season in Manchester, Lammens has silenced his doubters and established himself as one of the best young goalkeepers in the world. This meteoric rise is reflected in the fact that his estimated transfer value now places him among the most expensive goalkeepers in the world.

His predecessors struggled

Lammens arrived at the club after a difficult few seasons for Manchester United’s goalkeepers. Andre Onana, who was signed for a huge fee from Inter Milan, never seemed comfortable in goal. He was erratic with the ball at his feet, and his save ratio was well below the standard expected of a top-class goalkeeper. Across two seasons with the Red Devils, the Cameroon international was at fault for a staggering 22 goals.

His understudy, Altay Bayindir, was given the opportunity to earn the number one shirt at the start of the season but, after a string of underwhelming performances in which he struggled to show authority in his six-yard box, it was clear he did not have the skillset needed for the position.

The pair’s poor performances resulted in Onana heading out on a season-long loan to Trabzonspor, while Bayindir was eventually returned to the bench, providing Lammens with an opportunity he made sure to take.

An astonishing debut season

Lammens excelled in just about every area a goalkeeper can last season. He was calm with the ball at his feet, his passing into midfield was crisp and measured, and he was excellent at controlling his box. He was dominant in the air, rising confidently to claim crosses with authority.

His stats are astonishing too. It was recently revealed that the Belgium international prevented over six goals in the Premier League last season, the highest number of any goalkeeper. He also produced outstanding performances to single-handedly rescue points for Manchester United at times in the season.

When taking all this into consideration, it comes as no surprise that the young goalkeeper was named Premier League Transfer of the Season. It is a testament to the hard work he has put in and the maturity he has shown in marshalling his defence.

The small transfer fee Manchester United paid appears to be even more of a bargain now that Lammens’ current estimated transfer value has been revealed.

A huge increase in value

According to CIES Football Obs, Lammens is now the third most valuable goalkeeper in the world, behind only Manchester City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma and Barcelona’s Joan Garcia. This not only firmly establishes the 23-year-old among the world’s elite goalkeepers, but also highlights what a shrewd piece of business his signing really was.

In just ten months since he was announced as a Red Devil, his value has risen by more than 150%, with CIES estimating the shot-stopper is now worth a whopping £45 million. While all Manchester United’s transfer business last summer was successful, there is no doubt that Lammens is by far the best piece of business the club have conducted since INEOS took control of the football operations.

If Lammens’ value has risen this much after just one season, fans can only dream about how much he will be worth after more time spent learning and growing at Carrington.

Featured image Gareth Copley via Getty Images

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