When Manchester United quietly wrapped up an £18 million deadline-day deal for Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens last summer, rival fans barely batted an eye. High-profile arrivals across the league dominated the back pages, and many questioned why United were taking a calculated gamble on a 23-year-old from Royal Antwerp.
Fast forward to the end of the grueling campaign, and those critics have been completely silenced. The Premier League has officially announced that Lammens has won the prestigious Transfer of the Season award, capping off a truly sensational debut year in English football.
From the Bench to an Absolute Wall at Old Trafford
Lammens had to be incredibly patient at the start of his English adventure, missing the opening six weeks of the season. However, when his moment finally arrived in Matchweek Seven against Sunderland, he grabbed it with both hands. A commanding performance and a flawless clean sheet in a 2-0 victory instantly set the tone for what was to come.
From that afternoon onward, the young Belgian transformed United’s entire defensive dynamic under Michael Carrick. His unbelievable composure, elite shot-stopping ability, and supreme confidence when playing out from the back brought a sense of calm to a backline that had desperately lacked stability in previous seasons.
The statistics behind his award-winning campaign are genuinely mind-blowing. Across his 32 Premier League appearances, Lammens racked up 79 saves and kept eight crucial clean sheets. More impressively, tracking metrics revealed he posted a staggering +6.39 goals prevented metric—meaning he prevented more expected goals (xG) than any other starting goalkeeper in the entire top flight.
Beating Out Heavyweight Competition
The official award, decided by a division-wide public poll combined with votes from players and managers, saw Lammens face some incredibly stiff competition. The eight-man shortlist featured several high-impact summer signings, including Granit Xhaka—who enjoyed an incredible renaissance at Sunderland—as well as Arsenal’s Viktor Gyökeres and Chelsea’s João Pedro.
Yet, it was Lammens’ transformative impact on United’s campaign that ultimately won over the footballing world. His heroics between the sticks, including two Save of the Month nominations, were instrumental in guiding Manchester United to a magnificent third-place finish, comfortably securing UEFA Champions League football for the upcoming season.
Next Stop: The World Stage
The accolades are coming thick and fast for the young shot-stopper, who was also named the Signing of the Season by The Athletic earlier in the month. His meteoric rise hasn’t gone unnoticed on the international front either; after making his senior debut for Belgium back in November with a clean sheet against Liechtenstein, Lammens has officially been named in the Red Devils’ squad for this summer’s FIFA World Cup.
Reacting to his historic Premier League award, an incredibly humble Lammens expressed his gratitude. “It is a special feeling to win this award in my first season in the Premier League,” he shared. “I want to thank my teammates, the coaching staff, and the supporters for their belief in me throughout the campaign.”
For Manchester United, this award is a beautiful validation of their modern recruitment strategy. At just £18 million, landing the division’s most impactful signing feels like the ultimate daylight robbery. Lammens hasn’t just arrived at the elite level—he looks ready to anchor United’s goal for the next decade.
