Emiliano Martinez is set to move away from England despite being “desperate” for a transfer to Manchester United.
That’s according to The Pitch Prospect’s chief football correspondent Alex Crook, who claims the Aston Villa No.1 is eyeing more glamorous surroundings after a move to Old Trafford fell through in the 2025 summer transfer window.
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Martinez was long the last line of defense for Unai Emery’s Aston Villa side and played a crucial role in Argentina’s victory at the 2022 World Cup. Since then, he has been considered one of the best players in the world between the sticks.
Last summer The Pitch Prospect reported that then-United boss Ruben Amorim coveted the goalkeeper and Red Devils centre-back Lisandro Martínez praised his compatriot.
However, the club ultimately opted for 23-year-old Belgian youth player Senne Lammens, meaning “el Dibu” remained in Birmingham.
Along with Alan Brazil and Gabby Agbonlahor, Crook told The Pitch Prospect Breakfast that “the goalkeeper wants a move, even though Villa are currently third in the Premier League table.”
“The conversation between Emi Martinez and Inter Milan is certainly gaining momentum in Italy,” he reported.
“Not necessarily for this transfer window, but certainly for the summer, when Yann Sommer, whose contract has expired in my opinion, is likely to leave the club.”
“And for a few windows now I’ve just had the feeling that Martinez might be looking for a new challenge. He’s been flirting pretty heavily with Manchester United in the last few hours of the summer window.”
Cristian Chivu is at the top of Serie A with Inter and can all but guarantee he will be playing Champions League football next season and has a good chance of adding a Scudetto to his trophy collection.
Villa legend Agbonlahor weighed in on the issue, claiming his old club would be better off parting ways with Martinez anyway, especially considering he has been considering a move for a long time.
“I know for a fact, buddy, he did more than just flirt [with Man United]. He really wanted to go. I absolutely have to go.
Referring to Villa’s recent defeat to Everton, he added: “I think the goal Martinezm scored from Everton was a poor goalkeeping performance for him.”
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“When he’s there, he’s still a top goalkeeper, but he’s been inconsistent this season and has injury problems again. He won’t be there.” [against Fenerbahce in the Europa League] So maybe it’s time for Aston Villa to move on.”
After the goalkeeper’s desire for a move became public, he was dropped at the start of the season, leading to a viral interview moment before Aston Villa’s 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace, in which coach Emery repeated “Marco Bizot” – the name of his No.2 goalkeeper – when asked about the reason why Martinez was left out.
And although the Argentine has long since been reintegrated into the team, he has suffered injury-related setbacks this season that have limited his playing time.
His red card against Man United on the final day of last season as Villa failed to qualify for the Champions League is likely to remain fresh in the minds of some Villa fans, with many supporters agreeing that it could be the right time to part ways.
With PSR always an issue in the new rules-based Premier League order, Martinez’s departure could also result in Villa injecting some cash into the club as the 2029 World Cup Golden Glove winner’s current contract expires.