Emiliano Martinez left waiting! Aston Villa star spent deadline day hoping for Man Utd transfer call that never came as Red Devils signed Senne Lammens instead

Emi Martinez spent transfer deadline day waiting on a call from Manchester United that never came, with the Red Devils signing Senne Lammens instead.

  • winner wanted Old Trafford switch
  • Asked international team-mate for help 
  • No deal done as Red Devils snapped up Belgian

Emiliano Martinez left waiting! Aston Villa star spent deadline day hoping for Man Utd transfer call that never came as Red Devils signed Senne Lammens insteadEmiliano Martinez left waiting! Aston Villa star spent deadline day hoping for Man Utd transfer call that never came as Red Devils signed Senne Lammens insteadEmiliano Martinez left waiting! Aston Villa star spent deadline day hoping for Man Utd transfer call that never came as Red Devils signed Senne Lammens instead

The acquisition of a potential new No.1 was always a top priority at Old Trafford throughout the summer window. Many considered World Cup winner Martinez to be the ideal candidate to take over from error-prone Andre Onana between the sticks at the so-called ‘Theatre of Dreams’.

international Martinez was open to said move, having seemingly bid farewell to fans at the end of the 2024-25 campaign, but the enigmatic 32-year-old was left hanging as the deadline passed with no deal done.

According to The Athletic Martinez “called on his Argentina team-mate, defender Lisandro Martinez, to try to advocate for him with people at United” as the clock ticked down. He also “spoke to Ruben Amorim in June and July about a prospective move”, with United’s Portuguese coach of the that the South American’s “character and experience would be beneficial for his side”.

Only one call was made, regarding a loan deal that was never going to be acceptable to Villa. From there, Martinez’s salary became a problem – with the ex- shot-stopper working on terms in the West Midlands until 2029 that see him earn more than Onana. A fee of over £30 million ($41m) also needed to be factored into the equation.

Ultimately, United turned their attention to Lammens, with the Belgian arriving from for £18m ($24m). When Martinez eventually left Villa’s training base it was to head to Argentina for 2026 World Cup qualifying duty, not for a medical and contract signing in Manchester.