Manchester United officially announces the signing of new goalkeeper Lamens for €21 million, who will wear the number 91 jersey! The reason for choosing him over Martinez revealed.

Three hours past the summer window deadline, Manchester United finally announced their last acquisition, Belgian goalkeeper Sena Lamens. The transfer fee stands at €21 million (£18.1 million), with additional clauses. Lamens committed to a five-year contract and may don his usual number 91 jersey. Notably, the club’s women’s team goalkeeper Fallon Taliesin-Joyce also sports the number 91 shirt.

“I’m incredibly proud to join Manchester United; this truly is a dream come true,” Lamens said. “The past few years have been an amazing journey, and now it ends at an unbelievable destination. I hope this marks the beginning of an even more special story. You can feel the positive atmosphere being created here, and I know I can make a real impact at the club in the years ahead. I’m eager to meet my new teammates and start working with Ruben (Amorim) and the coaching staff. This is the perfect place to continue developing, grow with an exciting team, and achieve my career goals.”

After completing the Lamens deal, Manchester United naturally ended their pursuit of Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez. According to the British Daily Mail, one key reason the Red Devils chose Lamens was because Sancho refused a permanent transfer to Villa. Martinez’s weekly wage is as high as £200,000, so the club would have had to sell Sancho to afford him, but Sancho only agreed to a loan move to Villa. Therefore, United opted for Lamens, who earns just £20,000 per week, and arranged for him to fly immediately by private jet from Antwerp to Manchester. This also explains the delayed announcement, as the club made the decision late and requested special processing, requiring extra time for paperwork, medicals, and contract signing.

Lamens has become the most expensive goalkeeper in Belgian league history, while Martinez must continue waiting. He can still move because leagues like the Turkish Süper Lig remain open for transfers, and Galatasaray is still searching for a new goalkeeper. Meanwhile, Belgian media revealed that Lamens believes he is ready to become Manchester United’s new number one goalkeeper.

Manchester United’s new season in the Premier League and League Cup has already been affected by the same old problems. Alphonse Baindil’s error cost the team at least three points, and Andre Onana’s mistake led to a shocking cup upset against a League Two side. Ruben Amorim did not publicly blame the two goalkeepers but insisted on immediately signing a new keeper. “We are at a point where any opponent near the box can score,” Amorim said helplessly.

Onana and Baindil began showing repeated mistakes last season, and 39-year-old third-choice goalkeeper Tom Heaton has not played in the Premier League for nearly four years. In the long term, he is naturally not the best replacement option.

During the summer window, Manchester United were linked with four goalkeepers: Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez, Paris Saint-Germain’s Donnarumma, FC Porto’s Diogo Costa, and Royal Antwerp’s Sena Lamens. Ultimately, 32-year-old Martinez and 23-year-old Lamens were the final two options.

Martinez earned global recognition as the world’s best goalkeeper twice due to his performances with Argentina, especially his miraculous penalty saves. He consistently proves himself in top competitions, and even Messi appreciates his help. He undoubtedly has the potential to be the leader-type goalkeeper Manchester United needs.

In shot-stopping, passing, and aerial dominance, Martinez has been one of the Premier League’s statistically best goalkeepers in recent years. Since joining Villa from Arsenal in 2020, only Everton’s England international Jordan Pickford has made more saves (569) than Martinez’s 530.

However, by visual observation, after peaking in the 2023/24 season, his performance declined last season, supported by statistics. His 67.9% save rate ranked only 14th among Premier League keepers, down from 74.4% in 2022/23, the year he won the Yashin Trophy.

Moreover, last season only four goalkeepers conceded more goals than Martinez’s 45. In the final Premier League match at Old Trafford, he was sent off with a red card after fouling Manchester United striker Hojlund while rushing out. Villa lost 0-2 to United, missing out on Champions League qualification. The final standings showed Villa only needed a draw to finish ahead of Newcastle in the top five. Martinez should not have fouled Hojlund, who might not have scored, and even if trailing by one goal, Villa would still have had a chance if numbers were equal.

Nonetheless, even a somewhat declining Martinez may still cover Manchester United’s biggest weakness. In the match against Arsenal, Baindil was overwhelmed by William Saliba at United’s goal. Saliba indeed used his hand to block the Red Devils’ keeper, but Baindil’s inability to handle the ball with just three fingers demonstrated his vulnerability.

On Saturday, in the 66th minute, Baindil saved a direct shot from Lum Chauna but parried the ball straight to Jadon Anthony, who scored on the rebound, temporarily leveling the score. Fortunately, Anthony committed a foul in stoppage time, gifting Manchester United a decisive penalty.

Onana’s reluctance to come out and catch crosses has been a persistent issue. Therefore, Manchester United targeted goalkeepers with clear aerial dominance this summer. In this aspect, Martinez might be the best choice. In the 2024/25 Premier League season, no other goalkeeper intercepted more crosses than him.

However, Martinez has drawbacks: age, transfer fee, and high wages, which do not align with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s vision for Ineos. Instead of pursuing a star goalkeeper, signing a promising young player might better fit Ratcliffe’s approach. Considering this, Lamens is the optimal choice.Another reason Manchester United chose Lamens is his youth and bright future. He is regarded as a younger version of Courtois or Martinez.

Over the past two weeks, Manchester United have been negotiating with Antwerp, and both sides agreed that personal terms were not an issue. Lamens has been compared to his fellow Belgian Courtois and is considered one of the best goalkeepers outside Europe’s top five leagues.

Like Martinez, Lamens can greatly contribute in dealing with crosses. His crossing stats are nearly identical to Villa’s goalkeeper and surpass those of Onana, Alisson, Ederson, Jordan Pickford, and Jordan Henderson in the Premier League.

Lamens excels at shot-stopping, averaging more saves per game than Martinez and Donnarumma, with a save success rate of 81.4%. The Belgian talent performs well in many areas, including penalty saves like Donnarumma and Martinez. Since last season began, he has saved five penalties, more than any other goalkeeper in Europe’s top ten leagues during the same period.