Joining Man Utd was a mistake, says new signing's brother

Tom Weber

• Updated: 17 Sep 2025 04:34 CDT
• 4 min read

News

Joining Manchester United was a massive gamble by Senne Lammens, according to the goalkeeper's brother.

The Belgian arrived at Old Trafford on Deadline Day after Man Utd opted to sign him over Aston Villa star Emiliano Martinez. Lammens joined ostensibly to become the new No.1, but Ruben Amorim decided to stick with Altay Bayindir over the weekend.

Andre Onana made way for the 23-year-old and immediately put in a stellar performance on his debut for loan club Trabzonspor. This, in conjunction with the generally dire situation at Man Utd, will put massive pressure on the youngster when he finally gets his chance to play.

Had things panned out slightly differently, Lammens could be at Aston Villa or Galatasaray. The former wanted to sign him if Martinez had joined Man Utd.

The latter, meanwhile, viewed him as an alternative to Ederson, who ended up at hated rivals Fenerbahce instead, prompting Galatasaray to shell out €33 million ($39m) on Ugurcan Cakir in one of the most inflated deals of the summer, which in turn paved the way for Onana to join Trabzonspor.

Lammens could come to regret Man Utd move

According to Lammens' brother, Tom, a move to Istanbul could have been more beneficial for the young goalkeeper's career. “There’s a lot of quality, you play for trophies there, and Senne could perhaps immediately make his mark in the Champions League,” he told Het Nieuwsblad.

“I was initially sceptical about a move to United because many players there had already succumbed to the pressure and couldn’t reach their full potential. But ultimately, it was Senne who had to make the decision.

"United gave him the best feeling. Partly because Tony Coton, United’s goalkeeping scout, had been following him for almost a year and was very convinced of his qualities. It would also be great if the club could return to its former glory and if Senne could contribute to that.”

It remains to be seen if Lammens will be able to handle the pressure or if he will crumble like those who came before him. Former Netherlands international Johan Boskamp recently dismissed Amorim's decision not to use Lammens in the Manchester derby as 'nonsense.'

"Whoever they play, there’s always going to be pressure," Boskamp added. "Every little mistake is magnified. That’s just part of being at that club. If you can’t handle that, you shouldn’t sign with them.”