‘Outstanding’ star proves Man Utd scout was right to defy Amorim who was about to commit a mistake | OneFootball

Senne Lammens wouldn’t have joined Manchester United last season had Ruben Amorim had his way on the market.

While everyone at the club agreed on the dire need to replace Andre Onana, several names were being floated around, and two emerged as the top candidates for the role.

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Following his appointment in November 2024, Amorim swiftly realised that Man Utd is a different ball game, so he requested the signings of Premier League-proven players.

But while Jason Wilcox and Co. were happy to oblige in the cases of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, opinions began to diverge afterwards.

Amorim asked Man Utd to sign Emiliano Martinez instead of Lammens

Amorim wished to continue the EPL trend by recruiting the experienced Aston Villa duo of Ollie Watkins and Emiliano Martinez.

However, both players ended up staying at Villa Park, while Man Utd went fishing for young profiles on the continent.

Senne Lammens celebrates Patrick Dorgu scoring for Man Utd. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

In the striker role, Man Utd’s Head of Recruitment, Christopher Vivell, had the final say, as he was reunited with Benjamin Sesko, whom he had overseen during his time with the Red Bull orbit.

When it came to choosing the new No.1, The Telegraph journalist James Ducker gave the plaudits to United’s goalkeeper scout, Tony Coton, who stood his ground.

Man Utd scout was unwavering in his push for Senne Lammens signing

As the source explains, Coton was never convinced of Onana’s signing in 2023, but he perhaps didn’t argue enough to prevent what unfolded as a £47.5 million mistake on the club’s part, a decision he lived to regret.

Therefore, Coton wasn’t going to stand aside and watch United commit what could be another blunder. So instead of giving a nervous nod to Martinez’s arrival, the unwavering scout insisted on signing Lammens, a profile he deemed more suitable for the role, not to mention younger and cheaper.

This time, Coton had his way, and the Beglian has immediately proved him right. Lammens, who has already gained comparisons with Edwin van der Sar, was ‘outstanding’ against Everton, as Ducker puts it, helping MUFC come away with a 1-0 victory in their first visit to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

(Stats by FotMob)

Lammens has also been lauded for his calm and collected approach that made him an instant favourite at Man Utd.

So while Amorim was perhaps frustrated with the management, which didn’t always fulfil his desires on the market, the club directors were apparently wise to go their own way, at least on this particular occasion.