Former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has made a bold declaration about goalkeeper Senne Lammens, calling him the signing of the season after his heroic display in last weekend's goalless draw against Sunderland.

Despite a lackluster team performance at the Stadium of Light, Lammens was a wall between the posts. Sunderland came out firing, and the Belgian shot-stopper was forced into action early, making a sharp save to deny Noah Sadiki. The hosts continued to dominate possession and win duels, but Lammens stood firm.

In the second half, he produced another outstanding save to thwart Brian Brobbey, who looked certain to break the deadlock. United didn't register their first shot on target until the 93rd minute, but thanks to Lammens, they walked away with a valuable point.

Speaking on TNT Sports, Hargreaves didn't hold back his praise. "I'll tell you who's probably been the best signing of all of them: Senne Lammens," the 2008 Champions League winner said. "What did he cost? Not a lot, so he's been value for money."

Hargreaves went on to explain the club's transfer strategy, noting that United prioritized adding proven Premier League goal-scorers like Cunha and Mbeumo to climb the table. "They added guys with Premier League experience who can get you 20-odd goals, and United are third right now, so I think that's been proven correct," he said. "But I do think if they hadn't sorted the goalkeeper out, they wouldn't be in the top four."

The stats back up the claim: Lammens made four saves from inside the box and prevented 2.05 goals against Sunderland—a performance that arguably saved United from defeat. Head coach Carrick insisted the point was a good one on hostile ground and rejected any suggestions of a lack of commitment from his players.

United now turn their attention to Sunday's Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford, their final home game of the season. With Lammens in goal, they'll be confident of finishing strong.