Time is ticking on the summer 2025 transfer window, because when the clock strikes midnight, the deals will be done. Manchester United are busy trying to finalize what has been an active window that finally saw its first signs of dividends being paid with a gutsy 3-2 win over Burnley in the Premier League.
The new-look attack of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, and Benjamin Sesko showed flashes of brilliance in that three-goal win, with Mbeumo, in particular, looking like a transformative signing and picking up Man of the Match honors.
Although Manchester United have successfully backed Ruben Amorim on the transfer market in terms of upgrading his attack vastly, they still have a gaping hole in between the sticks.
As the Red Devils try to close out a deal for Senne Lammens from Antwerp, they are lining up Plan B options in case things fall through, and they are circling back to a blockbuster option.
Manchester United still need a new GK
According to a report from the Daily Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, which Fabrizio Romano also confirmed, Manchester United are back in for Aston Villa goalkeeper and Argentina World Cup hero Emiliano Martinez, aka “Dibu”.
But McGrath is reporting another interesting wrinkle to these transfer talks between the Premier League top-five hopefuls. Per McGrath, Manchester United are trying to see if Aston Villa would be willing to take disgruntled winger Jadon Sancho back the other way.
What makes this situation even more interesting is that not only are Villa open to selling Martinez for the right deal, but they are also among the big European clubs asking Antwerp about Lammens.
Manchester United and Aston Villa did business last year with an out-of-favor, big-name English winger, as the Red Devils loaned them Marcus Rashford, who just went on loan again this summer to Barcelona after accepting a paycut.
Sancho, meanwhile, has been unwilling to facilitate transfers and take a paycut, so deals to big clubs around European football like Borussia Dortmund, Napoli, and most recently AS Roma have all collapsed as a result.
So Manchester United fans won’t hold their breath for the stench of Sancho to finally exit Old Trafford this summer, but Aston Villa do have more wages to work with than clubs outside the Premier League.
Lammens is a young, up-and-coming goalkeeper and the preferred option for Manchester United after an incredible 2024/25 season in Belgium. But Martinez is a big name with Premier League experience and not a bad contingency plan by any means. Getting rid of Sancho would just be a bonus.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2011. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has contributed to sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. Joe’s work has appeared in ESPN, Bleacher Report, and Sports Illustrated. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling, respectively.