Emi Martinez spent transfer deadline day waiting on a call from Manchester United that never came, with the Red Devils signing Senne Lammens instead.
World Cup winner wanted Old Trafford switchAsked international team-mate for help No deal done as Red Devils snapped up BelgianFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The acquisition of a potential new No.1 was always a top priority at Old Trafford throughout the summer window. Many considered World Cup winner Martinez to be the ideal candidate to take over from error-prone Andre Onana between the sticks at the so-called ‘Theatre of Dreams’.
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Argentina international Martinez was open to said move, having seemingly bid farewell to Aston Villa fans at the end of the 2024-25 campaign, but the enigmatic 32-year-old was left hanging as the deadline passed with no deal done.
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According to , Martinez “called on his Argentina team-mate, United defender Lisandro Martinez, to try to advocate for him with people at United” as the clock ticked down. He also “spoke to Ruben Amorim in June and July about a prospective move”, with United’s Portuguese coach of the opinion that the South American’s “character and experience would be beneficial for his side”.
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Only one call was made, regarding a loan deal that was never going to be acceptable to Villa. From there, Martinez’s salary became a problem – with the ex-Arsenal shot-stopper working on terms in the West Midlands until 2029 that see him earn more than Onana. A fee of over £30 million ($41m) also needed to be factored into the equation.
