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

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EE
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Virgin Media
✅ Combines superfast home broadband and live Premier League broadcasting into a single household bill.
✅ Allows you to bolt TNT Sports onto an existing TV package on a 31-day rolling basis for around £25 a month.
✅ Broadband-only customers can use the free Stream box to add and drop the Sky Sports HD pack on a 30-day rolling basis.

EE
✅ The "Sport Plus" tier bundles both Sky Sports (via NOW) and TNT Sports into one seamless package to cover all 267 televised matches.
✅ Allows you to upgrade or downgrade your TV tier each month without breaking your 24-month broadband contract.
✅ Includes the Apple TV 4K or EE TV Box Pro for high-end viewing and easy multi-room streaming setups.
WHAT HAPPENED?
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’.
Getty/GOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Argentina international Martinez was open to said move, having seemingly bid farewell to Aston Villa 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.
DID YOU KNOW?
According to The Athletic, Martinez “called on his Argentina team-mate, United 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 opinion that the South American’s “character and experience would be beneficial for his side”.
Getty/GOALTELL ME MORE
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-Arsenal 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.
WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?
Ultimately, United turned their attention to Lammens, with the Belgian arriving from Royal Antwerp 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.
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