"I had never heard of this guy until recently," Schmeichel told SunSport. "I know he has impressive stats, but that's at Antwerp in Belgium, with a team that finished fifth. Statistics don't show what you learn after a mistake, or how you'll handle the pressure at Manchester United. It's a pressure unlike anywhere else in the world of football."
During this transfer window, manager Ruben Amorim addressed the goalkeeping situation by bringing in Lammens and loaning Andre Onana to Trabzonspor. Previously, the "Red Devils" were reportedly linked with Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez and PSG's Gianluigi Donnarumma. Ultimately, Martinez stayed at Villa Park, while Donnarumma went to Manchester City.
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Donnarumma (left) is considered superior to Lammens. Photo: Sun |
Donnarumma (left) is considered superior to Lammens. Photo: Sun
"With Martinez, everything seemed to fit. He is exactly the goalkeeper Manchester United needs. The club should have signed Martinez," Schmeichel added. "With Donnarumma, we missed the opportunity when we had the chance to sign him."
Echoing his former teammate, Scholes argued that Manchester United failed to improve their goalkeeping situation: "The goalkeeper is a huge issue. Did they really need to lose to Grimsby to realize Onana wasn't good enough? As for Donnarumma, if Manchester United didn't try to buy him when they could, that's a crime."
Currently, Manchester United often uses Altay Bayindir, despite the Turkish goalkeeper not having inspired confidence. The lack of a reliable goalkeeper makes Scholes question the club's transfer strategy, spending nearly 270 million USD on Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko, and Diego Leon, but not acquiring a quality goalkeeper.
"The scouting department only seems to buy attacking players. The attack does need adjustments, but to that extent? I'm not sure," Scholes added. "In midfield, they have 4 or 5 players, but no combination has proven effective. I thought the team would prioritize buying a central midfielder this summer, someone who can control the game. That's the big problem."
Vy Anh
