Agent reveals Man United made late decision to back Lammens after £18m move

Follow us on Google Discover

Senne Lammens’ spell at Manchester United would have been very different if the club had stuck to their initial summer plan.

Lammens arrived on deadline day from Royal Antwerp in an £18 million deal, despite Ruben Amorim initially pushing for Emiliano Martinez.

The decision to bring in Lammens followed Ineos’ data-driven approach, and it didn’t take long for that call to pay off. He impressed immediately in his debut against Sunderland and hasn’t looked back since, quickly establishing himself as the club’s first-choice keeper.

But it wasn’t always the plan for Lammens to be United’s No.1 this season…

Agent reveals what happened behind the scenes before Man United switch

Onana was still part of the squad until late in the summer window when United opted to send him on loan to Trabzonspor. Amorim had lost confidence in the 29-year-old, even though Onana wanted to remain at Old Trafford.

He didn’t want to leave, but the club encouraged him towards an exit. It’s now clear that wasn’t always how they saw things playing out earlier in the window.

Lammens’ agent, Mark Volders, spoke to Belgian outlet HBVL about how plans changed over time:

“But actually, for a long time, the intention within United was for Onana to simply stay and for Senne to be given time to adjust.”

“Ultimately, they only changed their minds at the very end. Onana left and Senne was fully drawn. But in retrospect you can only say that United were right about that.”

Manchester United put all their faith in Senne Lammens

Lammens wasn’t exactly a big name when he joined Manchester United. He didn’t have the profile or reputation of someone like Martinez or Donnarumma.

But now, midway through the 2025/26 season, it’s clear United made the right call.

Lammens has brought exactly what’s needed to play in goal for Manchester United. He’s calm on the ball, commands his area well, and handles pressure like it’s nothing new to him.

The data pointed to a goalkeeper with untapped potential, and Ineos were convinced enough to take a chance on him. Now 23 years old, Lammens looks every bit the long-term answer between the sticks for Manchester United.