Manchester United are reportedly considering Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez as a replacement for David de Gea.
According to a report by Football Insider, Manchester United are ready to shift their focus to the Midlands as the club hierarchy is very impressed with Emiliano Martinez and wants to make the 30-year-old Argentine international the next number one at Old Trafford.
David de Gea’s imminent future is hovering under the clouds as the Spaniard’s current contract is due for expiry next summer. Although there is an option to trigger a one-year extension, due to his limitations as a ball-playing keeper, Manchester United want to take a prompt decision on his future.
The 31-year-old has been one of the finest goalkeepers Premier League has ever witnessed and has bailed the Red Devils on multiple occasions. But Manchester United’s growing wage bill has put the club in a very tight situation. And de Gea’s massive £350,000-a-week wage has been a stumbling block.
Meanwhile, Emiliano Martinez had played a second fiddle at Arsenal, and only in 2020 did he grow in stature after he made a quiet move to Aston Villa. Since then, the Argentine international has enjoyed a pretty fruitful time at Villa Park and recently penned a new five-year deal with the club.
Aston Villa will therefore be in no hurry to part ways with one of their prime players, and only a premium fee might force them to sell Martinez. A fee of £45 million should be enough to sign the 30-year-old, but given his age, this could be a very risky investment as barring this summer, Manchester United’s signing history had been pretty awful.
Manchester United also brought in Martin Dubravka on loan from Newcastle United, but the Slovakian international is being viewed as a backup to the first-choice goalkeeper. Manchester United have also been linked with a move for Everton ace Jordan Pickford, and the Red Devils need to be on point with their recruitment as they cannot put a step wrong when it comes to the goalkeeping department.
Replacing de Gea, who has recently been courted by Juventus, will be a pretty big task. And a potential move for the 30-year-old Argentine international could be a big bet for the Premier League giants. It will be interesting to see if Martinez becomes a top target for Manchester United anytime soon.
