Emiliano Martinez Reveals His Dream Transfer Destination as Man United and Barcelona Circle

The situation surrounding Emiliano Martínez's potential departure remains uncertain, even though the shot-stopper seemed to bid farewell to Aston Villa supporters with an emotional display following the conclusion of last month's Premier League campaign.

Martínez ranks among Villa's highest-paid players following his contract extension signed in the previous year, which keeps him at the club through 2028, yet he might believe a transfer is necessary to secure major trophies before time runs out.

The ex-Arsenal keeper will celebrate his 33rd birthday in September, which isn't particularly advanced for someone in his position, and has earned the Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper award on two occasions since his 2022 arrival at Villa—largely due to his outstanding performances representing Argentina on the international stage.

With connections to Manchester United emerging from widespread rumors regarding André Onana's potential exit from the club, The Athletic reports that Martínez would "favor" a switch to United or another major European outfit. He has no interest in departing Europe for Saudi Arabia's top division. Barcelona was also mentioned as a possibility, though they have subsequently invested heavily to secure Joan García from cross-town competitors Espanyol.

United are said to have maintained contact with Martínez and his agents throughout this calendar year. However, Martínez understandably believes any potential transfer would hinge on Onana's departure, and there has been minimal progress from United regarding either his sale or significant investment in a new first-choice keeper.

Previous reports have also indicated that despite alleged interest from Monaco, Onana remains committed to staying at Old Trafford. This stance would likely only shift if manager Ruben Amorim explicitly informs the Cameroonian that he will lose his starting position.

Martínez's journey as an elite-level goalkeeper has been comparatively brief. His decade-long stint at Arsenal included six loan spells away from the club, with his breakthrough opportunity finally arriving when Bernd Leno suffered an injury during the Premier League's 'Project Restart' period in summer 2020.

Aston Villa recognized his potential from those nine Premier League appearances and invested £20 million in the then-28-year-old Martínez, who reached the milestone of 200 club appearances near the close of the 2024–25 season.