Emiliano Martinez has told Aston Villa he wants to leave the club in order to complete a move to Manchester United, with tension mounting as tonight's 7pm transfer deadline creeps closer.
United are weighing up two goalkeeping targets – Martinez or Royal Antwerp’s Senne Lammens – as Ruben Amorim looks to strengthen a position that has been under scrutiny since the start of the season.
Discussions have also included the possibility of Jadon Sancho moving to Villa as part of a separate deal, with the winger currently frozen out.
Villa manager Unai Emery was visibly frustrated when questioned about Martinez’s absence from the squad that lost to Crystal Palace on Sunday evening.
Emiliano Martinez has told Aston Villa he wants to leave the club in order to complete a move to Manchester United, with tension mounting as tonight's 7pm transfer deadline creeps closer
|PA
The World Cup-winning goalkeeper was left out after making his intentions clear and, according to the Daily Mail, he's got his heart set on a move to Old Trafford.
“We need players who are focused, 100 per cent. He wasn’t,” Emery said after the game.
“It’s not helping us. It’s one of the circumstances that we are having now not helping
"Tomorrow the window finishes and we are expecting something to improve our squad. Keep calm.
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"One of the circumstances is Emi Martinez, we will see tomorrow and then we try to get the balance and work after the break.”
Martinez, who has also attracted interest from Saudi Arabia, would prefer to stay in England.
Sources close to United’s dressing room, per the newspaper, believe the move has felt inevitable since talks first began earlier in the summer, with the club even making an ambitious attempt to bring him in on loan in July.
At 32, the Argentine offers what United lack most: experience, authority and a presence that can inspire confidence in a shaky defensive unit.
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| PABy contrast, 23-year-old Lammens is considered one for the future, but negotiations with Antwerp have dragged on for two weeks without a breakthrough.
United are aware the Belgian club are under financial pressure but have yet to settle on a fee.
Martinez’s departure would leave Villa with a significant hole to fill.
The goalkeeper has been central to their resurgence under Emery, playing a huge role in their Europa League qualification last season.
However, his strong personality and outspoken nature have also courted controversy at times, and his desire to force through a move just hours before the window shuts has not gone down well with his manager.
Villa are close to completing a deal for former United defender Victor Lindelof, who underwent a medical on Sunday after leaving Old Trafford as a free agent.
The Sweden international had been in discussions with Fiorentina and Everton, but Emery’s side look to have won the race.
For United, landing Martinez would mark another statement signing after a turbulent start to the campaign.
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