Manchester United’s poor start to the season was partly down to the horrendous displays in goal from Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir.
The Turkish star has started six out of seven Premier League games so far, and has recorded the worst save percentage among keepers in the English top-flight.
And the Cameroonian single-handedly ensured the Red Devils exited the Carabao Cup in the second round after a humiliating defeat to Grimsby Town.
He was subsequently shipped off to Trabzonspor on loan with the Turkish side keen on a permanent deal. INEOS won’t mind one bit.
Goalkeeper conundrum
They recruited Senne Lammens on deadline day, despite Ruben Amorim pushing for a more experienced face in Emiliano Martinez of Aston Villa.
The deal to bring the World Cup winner to Old Trafford collapsed thanks to Jadon Sancho, and the Belgian had to bide his time before receiving his first start for his new club.
It finally came on Saturday against high-flying Sunderland, and the former Royal Antwerp star showed why he was among the most highly-rated goalies in Europe last season.
From brilliant saves to excellent command of his area, the 23-year-old showed what the 20-time English league champions have been missing recently and he was warmly applauded by the Old Trafford faithful.
And Amorim is so impressed that he feels the club have signed the “next Thibaut Courtois”. High praise indeed, with the shot-stopper set for an extended run out in the games to come.
Senne Lammens has solved a major headache
“Ruben Amorim is hoping Senne Lammens will become Manchester United’s answer to Thibaut Courtois. And that goal was made more realistic by the fact that his young keeper already receives regular pep talks from the Real Madrid veteran.
“He sees the 23-year-old Belgian as a future pillar of the United defence.
“Club sources say the Portuguese manager views Lammens as Courtois 2.0 with his blend of aerial skill, power combined with strong ball-playing ability.”
The fact that Courtois and Senne Lammens share a great bond will be music to Amorim’s ears. Hopefully, the United goalkeeper can imbibe a thing or two from the Real Madrid superstar and continue to impress at the Theatre of Dreams.
Feature image Carl Recine via Getty Images
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Ayantan Chowdhury
After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
