Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has revealed that Real Madrid No.1 Thibaut Courtois sent him a voice note giving his verdict on Senne Lammens. Courtois believes that his Belgium understudy will be a good fit for the Premier League after the goalkeeper's £18 million ($24m) move to Manchester United from Royal Antwerp.
- Courtois' voice note to Ferdinand revealed
- Real Madrid star backs Lammens to shine in PL
- United signed Lammens on deadline day
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WHAT HAPPENED?
United, who have been in the market for a new No.1 throughout the summer, finally secured a move for highly-rated goalkeeper Lammens on deadline day as they agreed on a deal worth £18m with Belgian Pro League side Royal Antwerp.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
The Red Devils were also closely linked with a move for World Cup-winning Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, but never submitted a formal bid for the Aston Villa star. Instead, they worked on a deal for Lammens and eventually sealed the transfer, prioritising potential over proven Premier League pedigree. United also got approval from Real Madrid and Belgium No.1 Courtois, who heaped praise on his compatriot in a message to Ferdinand.
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WHAT FERDINAND SAID
Speaking on his YouTube channel, United icon Ferdinand said: "Just so you know, that voice note was from Thibaut Courtois. He let me know about Lammens because he’s a Belgian player, and he was just giving me the heads up as to what he’s like. He said he’s a huge talent, obviously not experienced yet but he thinks his style will be well-suited to the Premier League as well.
"So that’s a recommendation from probably one of the best three goalkeepers in the world, Thibaut Courtois, so I’ll take that. I keep seeing people talk about the talent and whatnot, but the problem is – can Man United afford to wait for talent to develop at this point in time? That’s the question."
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TELL ME MORE
The former England defender went on to admit he was pulling for United to sign Martinez to solve their long-standing goalkeeping issues. "What I would say is I was all-in on Emi Martinez," he added. "I just think his experience, he’s got the personality, the character, plays for Argentina where the pressure is absolutely immense, he’s won a World Cup, he was one of the reasons they won the World Cup, the save in the final, a big moments man. Man United need as much personality as they need ability coming through that door and I think he fits the bill in that sense completely."
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