Aston Villa ‘sleepwalking into Emi Martinez problem’ amid Man United development
Aston Villa could be set to damage themselves with the departure of Emi Martinez.
The Argentina international has been one of the Villans’ most important players ever since signing under Dean Smith back in 2020.
In that time, the 32-year-old has won a World Cup, two Copa America titles and two Yashin Trophy awards, confirming his place as one of the world’s best.
As a result, links of an exit have come as a blow to Unai Emery’s side as a problem could be set to rear its head, especially with recent links to Manchester United.
Martinez linked with Manchester United switch
It does feel as if the Argentine would be one of the hardest players to replace if he were to depart Villa Park at any stage.
With that being said, it does now feel as if a departure is on the cards with the summer transfer window looming in B6.
This looks to have been confirmed after Martinez was seen crying after the Tottenham win on Friday (16 May), in what could prove to be his final home showing for the Villans.
Since this moment, the ex-Arsenal keeper has been linked with a series of moves away, with Manchester United showing an interest recently [Sebastien Vidal, 19 May].
This has left Ben Foster baffled as he described a potential deal as a “massive problem” for the B6 club on the Football Fill-In (20 May).
He said: “Manchester United, potentially, are the only ones in the Premier League. It would be a backwards step for Emi Martinez, wouldn’t it?
“It’s a massive problem for Aston Villa, it’s almost like they’re sleepwalking into a massive problem. I think he’s still got another three or four years in him at the top level.”
Aston Villa must not sell Martinez to Man United
It would be a crazy decision to sell Martinez at this stage, regardless of who he goes to.
The shot stopper has been a key part of Villa’s rise from a mid-table outfit to a side that has qualified for European competitions for three seasons on the bounce.
With the likes of Pau Torres and Ezri Konsa ahead of him, Villa have had a very stable defence for many years, despite struggles at times this season.
As a result, letting go of the Argentine could prove to be a huge regret moving into the new campaign, as he would likely be impossible to replace.
There have been links to Espanyol keeper Joan Garcia, but with the LaLiga side potentially set for relegation, this isn’t really a move to excite fans.
The only way this move could be worse would be to see Martinez join someone like Manchester United after speaking about his love of Villa for the past five years.