Emi Martinez transfer hint? Unai Emery makes big Aston Villa selection call amid ongoing uncertainty after Man Utd links

Emi Martinez looks increasingly likely to remain at Aston Villa this season after boss Unai Emery handed him a starting role against Brentford.

  • Martinez starts for Villa
  • Had been linked with Man Utd
  • His first game back after suspension

Emi Martinez transfer hint? Unai Emery makes big Aston Villa selection call amid ongoing uncertainty after Man Utd linksEmi Martinez transfer hint? Unai Emery makes big Aston Villa selection call amid ongoing uncertainty after Man Utd linksEmi Martinez transfer hint? Unai Emery makes big Aston Villa selection call amid ongoing uncertainty after Man Utd links

The Villa boss has given Martinez his first start of the season away at on Saturday following a summer of speculation surrounding the international’s future. Martinez missed the opening game of the 2024-25 campaign, the final game of his three-match suspension, which rolled over from last term. Incidentally, Man have been heavily linked with Villa’s keeper.

With major question marks hanging over Man United pair Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir, the links with the Argentine are to be expected. But with Martinez being switched straight back into the Villans’ starting line-up, plus United’s growing links with Senne Lemmans from , it looks likely Emery will keep his No 1.

On the possibility of summer , Emery said: “We have to accept the financial rules. We know it and we are trying to get a balance, between the rules and our capacity to keep improving and getting better.”

There’s a little over a week left in the transfer window and all signs suggest Martinez will remain Villa’s first-choice keeper. And with the 2026 coming over the horizon, he will be best-placed to keep his place in the squad for defending champions Argentina.