Lambert tried to bring in Lukaku before plumping for the striker’s national team-mate.
Since arriving at Aston Villa in the summer of 2012 manager Paul Lambert’s best signing is arguably striker Christian Benteke, who scored 19 Premier League goals last term.
However, despite the success the 22-year-old has had at Villa Park Lambert has admitted that it was in fact Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku that was the Birmingham club’s first choice.
“I remember when I first came in here I spoke to Chelsea about Lukaku before we saw Christian,” the Scot was quoted by the Birmingham Mail.
“I knew about him and this club needed somebody to be that type of player.
“Obviously we couldn’t afford that at that time and Christian came in. The rest is history, as they say. They’re totally different players but the two of them are a threat.”
It would certainly have put a different complexion on the Villa side, although Lukaku has been as prolific as the 20-year-old’s national team-mate in the same time period.
The Blues starlet spent last term on-loan at West Bromwich Albion, netting 17 league goals and has since scored four times during the player’s current spell with Everton.
Benteke meanwhile has continued the good form from last campaign, having also netted four times for Villa in 2013/14.
Lambert went on to admit that had the club secured Lukaku then they still would probably have gone for the other Belgium international as well.
Although it is only hypothetical, the thought of a front pair of the two young, powerful forwards is quite exciting and something that would have given opposition sides something to think about.
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