While Manchester United continue to work towards further high-profile summer signings to reinforce their vision for ‘Project 150‘, the goalkeeper conundrum remains a topic of intense debate across the fanbase.
For some, Ruben Amorim will never achieve his potential without a credible name between the sticks. For others, there are more pressing issues that require attention.
“I don’t want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me.” For those unaware, this is a quote from the movie ‘The Departed’, and in a way, can be attributed to a domineering number one.
Think Peter Schmeichel and his now-legendary aura in and around his goalposts.
As if his 6 ft 4 Scandinavian frame wasn’t imposing enough, his vocal tendencies and physical attributes led to a terrifying prospect for any attacker, while also supplying a sense of assurance and belief across the backline.
Naturally, his primary role was to prevent the ball from entering his net. However, he created an environment that exuded confidence inside Old Trafford, laying the foundations for everything that followed.
Today, the goalkeeping situation remains a contentious frailty, with Andre Onana regularly suffering the wrath of a forgettable error across media and social outlets.
With speculation building regarding a potential move for Gianluigi Donnarumma or Senne Lammens, we dissect the pros and cons of each, while highlighting their standout metrics against Amorim’s primary option.
Should Manchester United prioritise a new goalkeeper?
Since arriving in July 2023, Onana has enjoyed a mixed spell in the North West.
The Cameroon international was reunited with former manager Erik ten Hag for an initial fee of £43.8 million, with the promise of a league-leading brand of distribution to complement the Dutch tactician’s vision.
Remember, this followed a memorable campaign where the now 29-year-old played a pivotal role in leading Inter Milan to the 2023 Champions League Final.
Unfortunately, a plethora of errors in his debut continental bow for the Reds saw a tide of negativity consume his every appearance, with a consensus of his unsuitability largely outweighing any form of positivity.
As is the case with confidence, or a lack of it, performances inevitably dropped, and a considerable section of a disgruntled audience had seen enough within six months of his signing.
But despite an overwhelming wave of negativity, how did the former Ajax man perform compared to his potential replacements throughout 2024-25?
| 2024-25 (All competitions) | Appearances | Clean sheets | Goals conceded | Minutes played |
| Andre Onana | 50 | 11 | 65 | 4,560′ |
| Gianluigi Donnarumma | 47 | 17 | 43 | 4,192′ |
| Senne Lammens | 44 | 10 | 56 | 3,960′ |
Figures available via transfermarkt
On the face of it, Italian shotstopper Donnarumma enjoyed the most notable of campaigns between the three, earning significantly more clean sheets while conceding fewer goals en route to a historic continental treble.
The legendary goalkeeper has earned a reputation as one of the very finest in the game, but has come to loggerheads with his Paris employer due to a salary disagreement over a contractual renewal.
In response, the Parisians acquired Lucas Chevalier amidst speculation regarding the former AC Milan star.
At 23, Lammens is a name admired in M16, with a documented interest surfacing throughout the summer alongside Amorim’s approval for his arrival.
His performances for Royal Antwerp have led to widespread admiration across Europe, with a growing belief that a move to a household name is a case of when, not if.
However, his above figures are not dissimilar to Onana, and while a goalkeeper can be considered in a different light from his outfield teammates, the nature of competition must be taken into consideration when evaluating the performances of the trio.
Each is responsible for leading from the back during each transition, and despite the ever-changing face of their defensive bodies, individual errors are well-documented.
That said, to truly appreciate the level of performance, we need to dive into their season metrics.
| League metrics 24-25 (Per 90 | Percentile) | Andre Onana | Gianluigi Donnarumma | Senne Lammens |
| Clean sheet percentage | 26.5% | 68th Percentile | 17.4% | 30th Percentile | 20.7% | 42nd Percentile |
| Touches | 40.32 | 68th Percentile | 29.14 | 10th Percentile | 41.59 | 74th Percentile |
| Save % (Penalty kicks) | 25% | 67th Percentile | 0.0% | 24th Percentile | 66.7% | 80th Percentile |
| Goals against | 1.29 | 62nd Percentile | 1..08 | 86th Percentile | 1.10 | 80th Percentile |
| Save percentage | 68.9% | 50th Percentile | 66.7% | 30th Percentile | 81.3% | 98th Percentile |
| Crosses stopped % | 5.5% | 36th Percentile | 5% | 22nd Percentile | 11.2% | 94th Percentile |
| Saves | 2.59 | 17th Percentile | 2.11 | 18th Percentile | 4.34 | 94th Percentile |
Figures available via FBRef
Say what you will about a perceived knowledge of an individual player, but having digested the glowing numbers from our opening chart, you’d be forgiven for shaking your head at how far Donnarumma ranks below his two opponents this time around.
That, my friends, is the beauty of figures – they never lie!
Don’t get me wrong, I am not petitioning against the pursuit of the Italian; I am simply highlighting how everything is not always as it appears.
It’s fair to say that Onana is facing a far higher standard of opposition, and yet, he outranks the PSG man in all but goals against. Admittedly, the figures do not tell the whole story, nor do they underline the self-inflicted errors.
In contrast, Lammens, although plying his trade in Belgium, offers the closest example to our opening quote by the Jack Nicholson-inspired Frank Costello.
His command of the area is evident, with a 94th percentile ranking in crosses stopped. Additionally, a save percentage of 81.3% towers over his rivals with an imposing degree of dominance.
But as was the case above, the Belgian Pro League is a far cry from the exhilarating competition on display in England and even France.
Still, a domineering goalkeeper will ensure perpetual control of their designated area, and the heir to Thibaut Courtois’ throne appears to be just that.
It is not every day that a household name like Donnarumma becomes available, and every major European outfit will have to consider its options.
However, when analysing the above figures, it’s easy to see why United officials have leaned towards adding a promising prospect to rival Onana for a starting berth.
Crucially, as we enter the opening week of Premier League preparations ahead of Arsenal’s visit to Manchester, the Cameroonian has returned to training and is prepared to battle to retain his place in the team.
With talks ongoing regarding a potential deal for Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba, it remains unclear if Amorim and Co. will pursue another keeper, particularly with Altay Bayindir also keen to stay in the North West.
Having digested the above, how do you feel about the triumvirate of Onana, Donnarumma, and Lammens ahead of another intriguing chapter of the summer window?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments or across our social channels.
Images by operations@newsimages.co.uk via depositphotos.com
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