The latest Aston Villa news from BirminghamLive as Emi Martinez was extensively linked with Manchester United in the summer transfer window
Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez
Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez(Image: Getty Images)
Ruben Amorim has revealed why Manchester United decided to buy Senne Lammens and not Emi Martinez.
The Aston Villa goalkeeper was extensively linked with a move to Old Trafford for most of the summer, with the uncertainty continuing right up to the transfer deadline.
In the end United paid £18million to take Belgian Under-21 Lammens from Royal Antwerp.
Meanwhile Martinez, who missed Villa’s defeat to Crystal Palace as uncertainty mounted, headed off for international duty with Argentina - and is now back available for Unai Emery.
As for United, Amorim hinted that age came into the equation, with Lammens ten years younger.
“We are really pleased. He's a goalkeeper with a lot of potential,” Amorim said.
“I know that we are in the moment that the goalkeeper needs to be really strong and have a lot of experience.
“But we are also in the moment that we have to look at the present, but also with the focus on the future.
“So it's a little bit both, a guy with a great potential, that is one more option to play and he will be ready.”
Amorim was asked specifically about Martinez and said: ““Sometimes you as a club, you try to see different options. Sometimes you are able to do one option or another.
“We have an option that can give us different things in the moment, but also has a great potential to be our goalkeeper for a lot of years, so that was our choice in the end.”
Andre Onana has gone out on loan, leaving the Portuguese with a choice between Lammens, who was also of interest to Villa, and incumbent Altay Bayindir for the derby match with Manchester City.
Amorim continued: “Altay [Bayindir] is going to continue because it's a different league, it's a different country, different training, so we'll try to maintain that and they will fight for the position. So for me, for this game it's clear Altay will start.
“We saw Andre Onana did a very, very good season at Inter. The quality is there, but we are in the club, sometimes in the moment things are getting harder and harder.
“And you can be really experienced, but in this club, the pressure sometimes is so hard on every detail, sometimes you, you need a change.
“We believe a lot in our goalkeepers, I believe in Altay and he's going to play.”
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