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Emiliano Martínez says he has no regrets about staying at Aston Villa last summer, despite appearing to say goodbye to supporters and attracting reported interest from Manchester United.
Martínez showed visible emotion at the close of the 2024–25 season, seemingly having decided he was ready to move on from Aston Villa in search of a fresh challenge. However, the anticipated transfer never came to fruition.
The Argentine's situation remained unclear when the new campaign kicked off in August — he served a suspension for the opening fixture, returned for Villa's following match, but was then left out of the squad for a game played the day before the summer window closed.
Manchester United were in talks with Senne Lammens simultaneously but didn't finalize that signing until September 1, possibly to keep their options open and arrive at the best possible decision.
"Sometimes football changes, managers come and go. People move on, but that doesn't mean I don't have complete respect and love for [Aston Villa]," Martínez told the media ahead of this week's Europa League final in Istanbul.
"I had a commitment with Aston Villa. I'm a World Cup winner [with Argentina] with Aston Villa. I won two [Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper awards] with Aston Villa. I will always and forever love this club. One day I am going to retire and somebody else will be between the sticks.
"I'm in a European final, we are in Champions League [next season] again, with all the ups and downs. We've got a top coach, we've got a top captain, we have a decent core of the team and when we stick together and fight together, we can beat anybody.
"I'm really proud to stay. I made the right choice."
Why Man Utd Signed Lammens Over Martínez
Ultimately, it appeared that Martínez — perhaps accepting that the move wasn't going to happen given the lack of a concrete offer from Manchester — chose not to force through the departure he had originally sought.
Reports that have emerged in the months since indicate that the Argentine was the preferred target of former United boss Ruben Amorim, who wanted an established goalkeeper with top-level experience to replace the inconsistent André Onana. However, a competing recommendation from within the club pointed toward Lammens, put forward by experienced goalkeeping scout Tony Coton.
Lammens, considerably less experienced but highly talented and more affordable than Martínez in both transfer fee and wages, had already been on Coton's radar for six years by that point — even before the former Old Trafford goalkeeper and goalkeeping coach had rejoined United in 2020.
Coton had also reportedly opposed the pursuit of Onana back in 2023, when Erik ten Hag was determined to reunite with his former Ajax stopper. In 2025, having suffered the consequences of opting for the high-profile choice two years prior, United chose to heed Coton's advice instead.
Although he had been monitoring Lammens for years through his progression with Belgium's youth national teams, Club Brugge, and eventually a senior breakthrough at Royal Antwerp, Coton explained during a recent appearance on Manchester United's Inside Carrington podcast that meeting the young goalkeeper in person gave him a chance to evaluate his character beyond the pitch.
"I wanted to see his concentration levels if, when I'm talking, he is looking elsewhere. Is he looking at the video still and this, that and the other?" Coton said. "And he was just locked. He was just locked onto me and I'm thinking: 'Yeah, he's got a real focus.' And I'd seen that in his game.
"[United] asked me could he go straight into the team and I said: 'Yes, straight away.' I had to say that anyway because I'd recommended him!"
Martínez Chasing Aston Villa Legend Status
Martínez, who was 28 years old before he became a regular first-team starter following a decade as a backup at Arsenal, is contracted to Aston Villa through the summer of 2029. He would be approaching 37 when that deal runs out, having spent nine years at Villa Park.
The past several seasons have ranked among Villa's finest in the club's history, featuring deep runs in European competition, two Champions League qualifications, and a finish just one point outside the Premier League's top four — all within a three-year span.
Martínez has been central to that success, yet a major trophy remains elusive. It has been 30 years since Villa last lifted a significant piece of silverware, claiming the League Cup in the 1996 final. Playing a key role in ending that long wait could cement his place as an all-time Villa great.
Villa have fallen short in four finals during that period — two FA Cup and two League Cup — but could be just 90 minutes from glory in the 2025–26 Europa League. Manager Unai Emery has lifted the trophy four times previously, with Sevilla (2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16) and Villarreal (2020–21), and was also a runner-up with Arsenal (2018–19). His side enters the final as the favorite against Freiburg.