Emiliano Martinez's hopes of joining Manchester United have been dashed after the club chose to sign Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens instead. The Aston Villa shot-stopper, who had expressed his desire to move to Old Trafford, has been left disappointed as United finalised an £18 million deal for the 23-year-old from Royal Antwerp.
Martinez has found himself sidelined at Villa this season, making only one appearance in a 1-0 loss to Brentford. After the arrival of Marco Bizot, Martinez was dropped from the starting lineup, and manager Unai Emery has publicly stated that the Argentine is 'not focused'. The World Cup winner is eager for regular minutes to secure his place as Argentina's first-choice goalkeeper for the 2026 World Cup.
Manchester United had been weighing up multiple goalkeeping options, including Martinez, but ultimately decided that Lammens was the best fit for the club in the long term. According to Sky Sports, United felt Lammens would provide strong competition for the number one jersey, especially after high-profile errors from Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir this season.
Lammens is set to sign a five-year contract and is travelling to Manchester to complete the move. For Martinez, the deadline day snub leaves him with limited options, though a late move elsewhere remains possible before the window closes. The 32-year-old has played 213 games for Villa since joining from Arsenal in 2020.
Emery acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding Martinez, saying: 'We need players who are focused, 100%. He wasn't. It's not helping us. Tomorrow the window finishes and we are expecting something to improve our squad. Keep calm. One of the circumstances is Emi Martinez, we will see tomorrow.'
