Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez was heavily linked with a move to Manchester United throughout the summer transfer window, but a move failed to materialise on deadline day
Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni reckons Emi Martinez has swiftly regrouped following a chaotic deadline day that saw him stay put at Aston Villa rather than securing a switch to Manchester United.
Martinez had been receptive to departing Villa throughout the summer and was enthusiastic about a move to Old Trafford after five campaigns at the club.
Despite penning fresh terms just last August, Villa were prepared to allow his departure if the correct bid materialised during the transfer window.
United lodged a loan bid for Martinez earlier in the summer, but Villa turned it down. No formal approach arrived from United thereafter, including on deadline day.
Instead, United chose to recruit Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp, leaving Martinez as Villa’s number one as he departed to link up with Argentina for the September internationals.
Prior to their clash against Venezuela, Scaloni was quizzed about Martínez’s frame of mind, reports Birmingham Live.
“Emi is fine,” Scaloni said in his press conference. “In the end, his transfer didn’t happen, but yesterday (Tuesday) was his birthday and I saw him happy.
“Of course, he must have been excited about the idea of playing for Manchester United, as people have said, but he’s a positive kid. He’s already focused on us, and when he returns to his club, he’ll be focused on them. I saw him well.”
When questioned if he was worried Martínez might lose his starting berth at Villa, Scaloni responded: “I’m interested in him playing, but we’re not going to get ahead of ourselves.
“I understand that, if he stays, everything will continue as normal. We’ll see what happens. It’s not my decision.”
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games this season, an increase of up to 100 more.
Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.
And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.
Source link
