Ornstein: Euro giants launch pursuit of player who agreed personal terms with United — bid made

Ornstein: Euro giants launch pursuit of player who agreed personal terms with United — bid made

Emiliano Martinez looks poised to finally complete his desired move away from Aston Villa.

Over a year on from when he bid an emotional farewell to Villa fans before continuing as their No.1 for a full season, he is on the verge of joining Juventus.

Martinez could’ve been a United player

It’s also approaching 12 months since Manchester United went as far as agreeing personal terms with Martinez before favouring a move for Senne Lammens instead.

Ruben Amorim began 2025/2026 with Altay Bayindir as his first-choice between the sticks following Andre Onana’s calamitous Europa League final showing.

However, when Bayindir also failed to impress in the chances he was granted, United entered the market for a new shot-stopper a matter of days before the window closed.

Martinez was said to be desperate to make the switch to Old Trafford, and compatriot Lisandro Martinez even spoke highly of the veteran behind the scenes to try and convince INEOS he was the right man for the job.

Why INEOS eventually snubbed Martinez

Ultimately, though, they opted for youth over experience, and signed Lammens in an £18.2 million deal from Royal Antwerp.

INEOS have shown throughout their time at the club that they would rather buy players who can hold down their roles for years to come, instead of ones who are seeing out the golden years of their careers.

That being said, the odd senior addition is also beneficial, hence bringing in 35-year-old ‘keeper Karl Darlow from Leeds United last month.

He will play second fiddle to Lammens, so will likely only feature in cup competitions while the Belgian plays all Premier League and Champions League games.

Making an instant impact for his new club ❤️@ManUtd’s goalkeeper Senne Lammens is @BarclaysFooty Transfer of the Season 🙌 pic.twitter.com/SG0Saqr6Gd

Altay Bayindir will be spending 2026/2027 with Celta Vigo on loan, while highly-regarded Carrington prospect Radek Vitek signed for Middlesbrough in a £7m (rising to £14m) transfer last week.

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