Peter Schmeichel says Man Utd signed the WRONG goalkeeper and admits he’d ‘never heard of’ Senne Lammens

PETER SCHMEICHEL was left bitterly “disappointed” after Manchester United signed the wrong goalkeeper this summer.

Emi Martinez was primed to quit Aston Villa for Old Trafford before United went for cheaper project stopper Senne Lammens, who has one full senior season under his belt.

AFPManchester United signed project keeper Senne Lammens on deadline day[/caption]

GettyEmi Martinez is a two-time World Goalkeeper of the Year[/caption]

And Schmeichel, who won 15 major trophies in eight seasons while in goal for Sir Alex Ferguson’s Red Devils, believes Ruben Amorim’s side gambled on the wrong player on deadline day. 

The legendary Dane, 61, told SunSport through Sky Bet: “We should have signed Emi Martinez.

“In fact, we should have gone for Gianluigi Donnarumma when we had the chance. 

“With Martinez, everything was lined up and that felt like really good news, because he’s exactly the kind of goalkeeper Manchester United should have.”

World Cup winner Martinez, 33, was left hanging on deadline day, waiting at Villa’s Bodymoor Heath training ground all day for a call from United that never came.

Schmeichel added: “He’s proven at the very highest level. He does all the basics brilliantly, but beyond that, he provides real leadership. 

“He’s the sort of goalkeeper who makes strikers think twice. That presence is vital.  So it was hugely disappointing to hear the deal fell through for financial reasons.”

Villa would have asked for around £40million for twice crowned world’s best keeper Martinez, while City signed Donnarumma, who wanted higher wages at PSG, for £26million.

Shutterstock EditorialPeter Schmeichel admits to not knowing much about Lammens[/caption]

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And the £18.2million arrival of 23-year-old rising star Lammens, who was benched for the 3-0 Manchester derby hammering, prompted Andre Onana to join Turkish outfit Trabzonspor on loan.

Schmeichel added: “As for Lammens, I’ll be honest, I’d never heard of him until the link came up.

“I know his stats are excellent across the top ten European leagues. But that was with Antwerp in Belgium, in a team that finished fifth. 

“He saved four out of eight penalties, but recruitment based purely on stats is risky. 

“Stats don’t show how you react after a mistake, or how you cope with the pressure of Manchester United. That pressure is unlike anywhere else in football.”

Onana, who was a Champions League finalist with Inter Milan before making his £47m switch to United, floundered under the intense scrutiny after poor performances.

Schmeichel added: “Lammens could turn out to be the best signing ever – but right now, it feels like a hopeful one, and that’s not what United need at this moment in time.

“If we’d signed him alongside Martinez, that would have made perfect sense: a proven World Cup winner as number one, with a talented young keeper developing behind him.

“But instead, we’re left asking who’s going to be number one.”

Schmeichel also believes that it’s a “big question mark” that Lammens is fourth or fifth choice for Belgium and hasn’t been called up to their World Cup qualifying squads.

Lammens could be forced to make his Premier League debut under the spotlight this Saturday against Chelsea after Altay Bayindir’s miserable start to the campaign has seen him concede seven goals in four games.

APUnited target Gianluigi Donnarumma joined City on deadline day[/caption]

Donnarumma instantly ousted James Trafford from goal at the Etihad and produced a brilliant save to stop Bryan Mbeumo on Sunday as Pep Guardiola adapted his goalkeeping game-plan.

Schmeichel said: “Modern goalkeeping while playing out from the back is changing.

“City have just signed Donnarumma – a massive goalkeeper – who can command his area in response to what Arsenal have done over the years with set pieces.

“Guardiola is now compromising slightly on how the ball is brought out from the back.

“On Sunday against United, we saw a lot of goal kicks simply launched up field. So, he’s shifting the starting point of City’s play higher up the pitch. But that’s Pep – he’s never been wrong.”

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