Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez joins up with the squad for pre-season training, throwing up more questions over his future at the Midlands club
Emi Martinez has shown up for pre-season training at Aston Villa despite links to a Manchester United transfer and bidding goodbye to his supporters at Villa Park at the end of last season.
After brushing off talks of interest from the Saudi Pro League, Martinez says he wants to compete at the highest European level - despite the Red Devils recently struggling to gain a place in continental football competitions for 2025/26.
United are in the market for a goalkeeping upgrade, and their eyes have lately fallen on Martinez, dropping transfer hints for him, especially as their own Andre Onana is currently nursing a hamstring injury. Martinez could be a potential upgrade.
Talk and questions of links with Man United have been going around, especially after Martinez appeared to close the five-year chapter he’s had with Aston Villa with an emotional goodbye addressed to his supporters at the end of the 2024-25 campaign. At this point, a summer transfer was widely considered a mere formality, as the public took this as a nod to the end of an era for Martinez and Aston Villa.
Martinez is open to the move and is just waiting for a formal approach. But as no such thing has been initiated at this point, the Argentinian national has stayed put with his squad and reported for pre-season training. But whether this signals he'll be staying put, or is merely biding his time, remains to be seen.
