Peter Schmeichel Criticizes Man Utd's Senne Lammens Signing, Says Club Should Have Landed Emi Martinez or Gianluigi Donnarumma
Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel has voiced concerns over the club’s decision to sign Senne Lammens, suggesting the Red Devils missed out on proven goalkeepers Emi Martinez and Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Peter Schmeichel says Man Utd should have signed Emi Martinez or Gianluigi Donnarumma instead of Senne Lammens, questioning the Belgian’s readiness.
The Danish icon revealed he had never heard of Lammens before the deal and questioned whether the 23-year-old Belgian is ready to handle the pressure of becoming United’s No.1. Speaking to SunSport through Sky Bet, Schmeichel emphasized that Martinez and Donnarumma represented the type of world-class pedigree Manchester United should be targeting.
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Lammens joined United from Royal Antwerp on deadline day of the summer transfer window for an initial fee of €21m (£18m/$25m). The signing followed Andre Onana’s loan move to Trabzonspor, leaving Ruben Amorim with Lammens and Altay Bayindir as his main options between the posts.
Martinez, who was linked with Old Trafford but ultimately stayed at Aston Villa, missed his club’s 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace during the transfer speculation. Donnarumma, meanwhile, joined Manchester City for a reported €35m (£26m/$41m) and produced several key saves in the Manchester derby last week.
Schmeichel argued that Martinez would have been the ideal candidate for United, praising the Argentine for his leadership, presence, and ability to make strikers “think twice.” He added that the collapse of a potential Martinez move due to financial reasons was a major setback for the club.
On Lammens, Schmeichel acknowledged the Belgian’s strong statistics with Antwerp, including saving four of eight penalties last season, but warned that numbers cannot measure how a goalkeeper will cope with the relentless scrutiny of Old Trafford. He described the transfer as “hopeful,” noting that a pairing of Martinez as first choice and Lammens as a developing understudy would have been a more balanced approach.
The young goalkeeper will soon have a chance to respond to the criticism. Lammens is expected to make his debut against Chelsea this weekend, a stage that could allow him to prove himself to supporters and perhaps earn the respect of United’s greatest-ever shot-stopper.
