Owen Hargreaves has named Senne Lammens as Manchester United's signing of the season, highlighting the goalkeeper's crucial role in the club's push for Champions League football. United spent over £200 million last summer, bringing in Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko, and Lammens to Old Trafford. All four signings have had encouraging first seasons, with Sesko scoring ten goals in 15 appearances since Ruben Amorim's sacking in January. Cunha and Mbeumo have added flair to United's attack, sharing 19 goals across all competitions, while Lammens has solidified a previously leaky defense.
Hargreaves Praises Lammens' Impact
Speaking to TNT Sports, Hargreaves said: 'I'll tell you who's probably been the best signing of all of them: Senne Lammens. What did he cost? Not a lot, so he's been value for money.' Hargreaves emphasized that United's priority was adding goals, which Cunha and Mbeumo provided, but argued that sorting the goalkeeper position was equally vital for a top-four finish.
'I think United looked at it and thought, "what gets us up the table and into the Champions League places?" It's not a new midfield player or a goalkeeper, it's goals. So they added Cunha and Mbeumo, guys with Premier League experience who can get 20-odd goals, and United are third right now, so I think that's been proven correct. But I do think if they hadn't sorted the goalkeeper out, they wouldn't be in the top-four,' Hargreaves added.
McCoist Agrees on Defensive Confidence
Ally McCoist echoed Hargreaves' sentiments, stating: 'I don't think you can underestimate that. If you look at United defensively, they had no confidence at all in what was behind them. All of a sudden they have someone they do have confidence in, and I just think that makes such a big difference.'
Lammens has been consistent throughout the season, earning praise after United's goalless draw with Sunderland. Reflecting on his campaign, the Belgian goalkeeper said: 'I think I can be proud of the season I've been having. I had the perfect opportunity and it was the perfect time to come into the team and to grow. I had a lot of things to learn and still have, but in this squad, I also get the opportunity to show myself and to help the team out.'
'It's been a very good season for me personally. As a team as well, we've been growing, and now it's about the next step. Next season is going to be a big one. Everyone's going to step up again because while this season was okay, it's not our end goal. We have to keep building on this and try to get better,' Lammens added.
Lammens, who joined from Royal Antwerp for £18 million, quickly established himself as United's No. 1, surpassing Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir. United's final two Premier League matches are against Nottingham Forest and Brighton.
