Spotlight on £84.5m Man Utd duo as they look to prove their worth vs Aston Villa
Manchester United will welcome Aston Villa to Old Trafford on Sunday for a crucial Premier League showdown.
After enjoying another free weekend, the Red Devils will return to action determined to strengthen their push for a coveted top-four finish.
Both United and Villa currently sit on 51 points, but the hosts hold a slight advantage thanks to their superior goal difference.
However, the stakes in this encounter go beyond the league table.
Spotlight on Lammens and Sesko
United came close to signing two Villa stars Emiliano Martinez and Ollie Watkins last summer.
Lisandro Martinez was reportedly keen to see his Argentine international teammate Emiliano Martinez arrive at Old Trafford, with former head coach Ruben Amorim also supportive of the move.
After enduring two difficult years of inconsistent goalkeeping, United were eager to bring in a commanding presence between the posts.
With his wealth of experience at both club and international levels, Martinez appeared to tick every box.
However, INEOS ultimately placed their faith in the club’s scouting department and opted to sign Senne Lammens for £18.2 million instead.
His outstanding performance against Everton last month offered clear evidence that United may have made the right decision to recruit Lammens.
It will be a direct face-off between Lammens and Martinez on Sunday and the Belgian shot-stopper will undoubtedly be eager to prove once again that INEOS made the right call.
United faced a similar dilemma when they began searching for a new centre-forward.
Amorim strongly pushed for Watkins to join the club, believing the Premier League-proven striker could make an instant impact at Old Trafford.
The United hierarchy instead backed recruitment specialist Christopher Vivell and chased Benjamin Sesko.
The 22-year-old striker has already scored nine goals this season, gradually silencing the critics who were quick to question the decision to sign him for a fee of £66.3m.
Now, Sesko will have another opportunity to prove to his former manager that United were right to choose him over Watkins.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
Article written by Sanidhya Bhardwaj .