Manchester United did not sign Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez on transfer deadline day due to Jadon Sancho’s stance.
The Red Devils agreed on personal terms with the World Cup winner on Sunday, and the shot-stopper also informed Villa about his desire to join the club.
However, a deal did not materialise in the end. United ended up signing Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp for a package of £18.2 million plus add-ons.
Fabrizio Romano has now revealed that United and Villa were discussing a swap deal for Martinez and Sancho. Separate transfers would have taken place.
However, Sancho had no desire to negotiate a permanent move to Villa Park and preferred a loan.
Villa, on the other hand, were not keen on permitting Martinez to leave on a temporary basis. The Midlands outfit wanted him to depart permanently.
As a result, Martinez’s potential move to Old Trafford collapsed.
United did not want to overspend on a new goalkeeper
The Red Devils brought in Lammens before the transfer deadline yesterday. The Belgian is highly rated after an outstanding breakthrough campaign at Antwerp.
The 23-year-old made 40 appearances in the Pro League last term. He made 4.2 saves per outing with a success rate of 77 percent. He also had a passing accuracy of 71 percent.
Lammens also impressed with his high claims and penalty-saving skills. He has the traits to become an elite goalkeeper and now needs to prove his credentials on a bigger stage.
United have done well in signing him, but the hierarchy would have surely preferred the experience of Martinez, had Sancho agreed to move the other way on a permanent deal.
Villa wanted around £40 million to part ways with Martinez, described as ‘world-class‘ by iNews.
United reportedly valued Sancho in the region of £25 million, and could have been willing to pay the remainder to bring the Argentina international to Old Trafford this summer.
A deal did not materialise due to Sancho’s reluctance to negotiate. It probably has to do with his unwillingness to accept a pay cut on his £250,000 per week wages for a long-term deal.
Villa have agreed to pay around 80 percent for his loan move, but the Midlands outfit obviously did not want to commit to such an outlay for the future due to their increasing wage bill.
Lammens was eventually signed as a result. He will be aiming to become the club’s first-choice goalkeeper ahead of Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir, who have been error-prone.
Stats from Capology.com & Sofascore.com