If Manchester United are to sign Emi Martínez from Aston Villa this summer, Rúben Amorim will run into an immediate problem regarding his debut.
Manchester United have reportedly registered their interest in signing a new goalkeeper this summer following a hamstring injury sustained by current first-choice André Onana.
After reporting for pre-season training last week, Onana suffered an injury in training, with it being stated among British media that Amorim was considering signing a new goalkeeper to compensate.
Reports elsewhere have also commented that current second-choice Altay Bayındır could leave the club, with his agent set to meet United this week for showdown talks regarding the Turkish international’s future.
Over the last two days, it has been reported in Argentina that United have now established contact with Aston Villa regarding a possible £33 million transfer of goalkeeper Emi Martínez.
United would be hit with immediate suspension issue
Martínez has won the Goalkeeper of the Year award twice, but his best was certainly not on display during the final day of the season, when the 32-year-old was sent off for a foul on Rasmus Højlund.
In the first half, Martínez came rushing out of goal to close down the United striker right before the referee’s whistle, but failed to win the ball and took out the Dane outside the area, resulting in a straight red card.
United would go on to win the tie 2-0 thanks to goals from Amad and Christian Eriksen, with the loss confirming that Villa would not qualify for the Champions League next season.
For Martínez, the keeper was handed a one-game ban for his actions, which is set to carry over to the 2025/26 campaign, even if he leaves Villa to sign for United.
Martínez’s potential United debut date
With United wanting a player who can replace Onana for at least the opening games of the season, Martínez’s one-game ban means the club would still have no one to cover for their first fixture of the campaign, against Arsenal on Sunday, 17 August.
There’s debate about how much of the season Onana will miss, with his current return timeline projected to be between four and eight weeks. However, either way, it’s unlikely he will be able to play against Arsenal.
If Martínez were to join the club, his debut would then likely come the following weekend, when Amorim’s men travel to face Fulham in West London.
As for the Arsenal tie, either Bayındır or 21-year-old Academy star Radek Vitek may end up being on the teamsheet come Sunday afternoon. However, it is almost impossible to predict who Amorim will pick until after his plans are better understood following pre-season.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 12:30 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.