TA analyzes Manchester United s new goalkeeper: His style is similar to De Gea. Can he become the new true emperor under the Red Devils s?

According to the Athletics Network (TA), on the transfer deadline, Belgian goalkeeper Sen Lamens transferred from Real Antwerp to Old Trafford for a total price of 21 million euros (about 18.2 million pounds) and 4 million euros with a total price of 4 million euros. The deal seemed particularly sudden at the end of the summer window, marking a rapid change in Manchester United's transfer strategy. Previously, it was generally believed that introducing new goalkeepers this summer was Manchester United's "alternative option" and would only advance after the sale of Andre Onana or Altai Baindel.

However, this idea changed after losing to Arsenal 0-1 in the first round of the season, and Baindel's mistake directly led to the goal conceded. Then, Onana made another mistake in the League Cup loss to lower-level team Greensby Town, further exacerbating the crisis in goalkeeper position.

Ultimately, Manchester United chose to sign Lamens instead of Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez or PSG's Champions League champion goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, which shows that the club hopes to solve the goalkeeper problem in a completely new way. The 23-year-old is not expected to be the main player right away, but given the continued struggles of the two goalkeepers in front of him, Lamons may be on the starting position earlier than expected.

Originally seen as a long-term investment signing could quickly turn into a "fireline test" and that is the huge pressure that must be under as a goalkeeper at Old Trafford.

This is undoubtedly a huge challenge for a player who has played a full season as the absolute main player in the Belgian top league.

So, what exactly can Ramens bring to Ruben Amorin's team? Here is our detailed analysis:

Lamens's arrival will improve the goalkeeper's position competition, but he will not initially replace Onana's starting position. The club hopes he can become a reliable No. 2 goalkeeper, compete with Cameroon's goaltender when needed, and provide stable back-defense protection during Onana's trip to the African Cup at the end of the year.

Save ability: The most prominent feature of Lamons, who has outstanding data, is his save ability. Last season, he ranked third in the top eight leagues in the Belgian Professional League with a "post-match expected goal difference" (PSxG differential) reaching +14.5, second only to Ghent goalkeeper Davi Rov (+16.7).

In layman's terms, this means he avoided more than 14 goals conceded for Antwerp last season.

He ranked first in the league with 127 saves, with an 81.4% save success rate as well as the highest in the league. Since the beginning of last season, he has saved 5 of the 7 penalty kicks he faced, which is unmatched by goalkeepers in the top ten leagues in Europe, fully demonstrating his calmness and ability at high pressure moments.

Style inheritance: De Gea's shadow

His save style reminds people of several of the most beloved goalkeepers in Manchester United's history. In one-on-one situation, he attacked quickly, blocking the shooting angle with extremely fast speed and aggressive slamming.

Unlike other young goalkeepers, he can keep his chest facing the ball at the last minute, and his body balance is excellent, forcing offensive players to make non-ideal choices. At the close pressing moment, his feet resolved the danger, reminding people of De Gea at the peak of 2019 - he was good at spreading his legs at the last moment and intercepting close-range shots with his legs.

Like De Gea, Lamens also prefers "blocking technology" (fans familiar with cricket will find this similar to the "long baffle" tactic).

When facing a shot at close range, he tends to get close to the goal line first, to get himself valuable reaction time, and then quickly move forward a few steps to compress the shooting angle.

His footsteps are quick and steady, and he can explode in either direction immediately after the shot occurs.

Risks and Hidden Hazards: Aggressive Double-edged Sword

However, this style also comes with risks. Because Lamens likes to attack in advance, he sometimes fails to stand firm in time due to moving too fast, which increases the difficulty of saving. His aggressive position has been lured out of the goal range by his opponent several times, exposing the empty goal, which is exactly the flaw that the opponent is willing to use.

For example, in the match against Westeros last November, he attacked twice because he was too aggressive and was once again punished for his mistakes, although he saved the penalty and made up for the mistakes in the first half stoppage time, he was once again lured out of the position by his opponent at the closest corner, causing the goal to open.

These mistakes will be punished mercilessly by the opponent in the Premier League.

Air Overlord: Fill in Manchester United's shortcomings

In addition to save, Lamons also showed a strong desire for competition in the air confrontation. Last season, his crosses (44) successfully intercepted were the Belgian league, far surpassing other goalkeepers. This confidence in taking the initiative can effectively reduce the pressure on defenders and change the situation of melee in the penalty area.

He tends to take the initiative to fight for the first place, and his style is quite similar to Aston Villa's Martinez.

This air dominance is a key quality that Manchester United goalkeepers lack in the past few seasons.

But Ramens has not yet fully grasped the balance point of when to attack and when to wait. His aggressiveness occasionally causes him to overstretch, causing the goal to be exposed. In terms of high-altitude ball competition, he still has a gap compared with Premier League top goalkeeper Martinez or Arsenal's Raya.

Goalkeeper coaches usually think that an overly aggressive goalkeeper is easier to train than an indecisive goalkeeper. But fans will warn that a goalkeeper who is "scratch" in crosses and corners can easily become a target for opponents in the Premier League. If Lamens can learn to control his aggressiveness more accurately, this will become his advantage; on the contrary, if he continues to be too radical and loses balance, this will become the weakness of the opponent's focus attack.

Foot technology: A model for modern goalkeepers

Lamons mainly uses his right foot, but his left foot technology is equally confident and skillful. Even under high pressure, he rarely appears panic, which is an important reason why Manchester United is interested in him.

The diversity and flexibility of his feet make him one of the most active passers in the Belgian league last season, ranking fourth in total passes (859 times) and fifth in pass success rate (76.5%). Whether it is a short pass cooperation or a long pass launch, he has all the qualities that a modern goalkeeper needs.

What is even more gratifying is that his ability to take the ball is not limited to his feet. Last season, he tried the most goals (167 times) in the league, and most of them were long and accurate, and could quickly launch a counterattack, which reminded old fans of Peter Schmeichel.

But (yes, again "but"), this can sometimes evolve into overconfidence. The most obvious example is the match of Antwerp losing to Porto in the UEFA Champions League group stage in November 2023, which is also his only UEFA Champions League appearance.

In the 15th minute, under the press of Mehdi Taremi, he held the ball for too long and was intercepted by his opponent while trying to pass the ball, almost causing a loss. This once again reminds people that in top stadiums, any mistakes can be instantly amplified.

Summary: The future star with unlimited potential

Although young, Lamens is full of fighting spirit and confidence in the game, and obviously enjoys the competition. He is an active modern goalkeeper who celebrates loudly and reveals his emotions when saving a key ball. He is by no means a mediocre substitute. He is perfectly competent for Onana's substitute and even assumes more responsibilities when necessary.

He is 1.93 meters tall (6 feet 4 inches) tall and has outstanding physique. Although it may take time to adapt to the high-intensity confrontation in the Premier League, he has a visible presence that stabilizes the defense line and inspires fans, which is exactly the type of player Amorin favors.

Lamons is not a "finished product", but he can bring different qualities to Manchester United. Like striker Benjamin Sheshko, he is a young player with great potential.

Manchester United signs him not to solve the urgent problem at hand, but to hope that he can grow into the team's long-term goalkeeper solution for the team in the future.