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Leeds ‘in contact’ with highly-rated Belgian stopper amid continued Meslier exit rumours

Senne Lammens pre-match warm up for Club Brugge

Leeds United are in direct contact with Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens as they look to get a deal over the line for him in the near future, according to reports. 

The Whites tried to sign the 20-year-old last summer, but with Illan Meslier being linked with a winter departure, the need for reinforcements between the sticks is now more pressing for Jesse Marsch.

Lammens’ contract is set to run out at the end of the season, so his team, Club Brugge, who are the reigning champions of the Belgian top flight, may look to offload him before he can leave on a free transfer.

This is according to HLNwho claim the keeper is ‘on his way’ to Elland Road, after he has repeatedly turned down extension offers from Brugge and is close to agreeing on personal terms with the Whites.

The only question is whether or not Leeds will pay a fee to sign him this winter or if they wait for his current deal to expire. In all likelihood, that will depend on whether Meslier makes a move in the upcoming weeks.

As per the report, Lammens is ‘keen to play’ regular football, after he has featured just three times for Brugge this season due to being behind former Liverpool keeper Simon Mignolet in the pecking order.

However, Meslier is still very much a Leeds player at the moment. With Joel Robles being a solid backup option for Marsch, it’s unlikely the youngster would be the American manager’s first choice straight away.

Lammens a great prospect, but not an immediate replacement for Meslier

Lammens joined Club Brugge’s academy in 2014 at the age of 12 and has since risen through the ranks after putting in some impressive performances in their youth teams.

The youngster famously netted a 95th-minute equaliser in a 2-2 draw against Real Madrid U19s in the UEFA Youth League in December 2019, which caught the attention of major European media outlets at the time.

Since, Lammens has made 19 caps for Belgium across different age groups, including three appearances for the Under-21s.

During his youth career at international level, Lammens played with AC Milan forward Charles De Ketelaere, who was also linked with a move to Leeds back in the summer.

The goalkeeper was promoted to the first team at the start of the 2020-21 season and started four games on the bench. He also gained senior experience in the second tier with Club Brugge’s second team Club NXT, but conceded 32 goals in just 13 appearances.

Nevertheless, Lammens was presented with his Pro League debut in a 2-2 home draw against KAS Eupen on in July 2021. He made three further appearances for Club Brugge last season, most notably in their 3-2 victory over KRC Genk in the Belgian Supercup final.

Lammens is clearly rated highly by his club and country, so he could be an excellent long-term investment for the Whites if they can get a deal over the line, as expected. Whether this will be this month, or in the summer, remains to be seen.

Although, given Marsch still has two quality goalkeeping options at his disposal right now, it seems unlikely he’ll make the Whites’ starting XI anytime soon.

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