Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni opens up on Emiliano Martínez’s failed move to Manchester United this summer.
Emiliano Martinez’s future was a massive talking point throughout the summer. The Argentine international was keen on securing a move away, and he was reportedly on the verge of joining Manchester United before the deadline.
However, things did not go according to plan for the 33-year-old, and he ended up staying at Aston Villa. With the player now away on international duty, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni was asked about his situation after the move to United fell through during the press conference.
Scaloni said via Ole, “Dibu is fine. His move didn’t go through. He was happy for his birthday. Obviously, he must have been excited about playing for Manchester, but he’s a positive kid who’s thinking about us, and when he returns, he’ll be thinking about his club,”
Manchester United snubbed Martinez on deadline day
Manchester United were on the lookout for a new shot-stopper, as Ruben Amorim was not pleased with the performances of Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir. Martinez was quite high on their wishlist, and the Portuguese manager had even held talks with the Argentine World Cup winner.
Martinez was left out of Aston Villa’s squad for the game against Crystal Palace before deadline day, which suggested a move was around the corner. While the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner was pushing for the transfer to United and was waiting for the call, it did not arrive.
The Red Devils snubbed Martinez and decided to go ahead with Senne Lammens. It was a massive blow for the 33-year-old, who will now have to regain his spot in Unai Emery’s team after having tried to force an exit throughout the summer.
Scaloni suggested that Martinez was very keen on playing for Manchester United, but things didn’t go according to plan for him. However, he has a strong mindset and is currently trying to do his best for Argentina. Once the experienced goalkeeper is back at Aston Villa, he will be thinking about getting back into the starting XI.
When asked about how things would work for him at the Birmingham-based club after trying to force a move, Scaloni said, “We’ll wait and see what happens with Dibu. It’s true that we’re interested in him playing, but we’re not going to get ahead of ourselves. I understand that if he stays, he’ll continue to play, but there’s no need to get ahead of himself.”
Scaloni is hoping that his first-choice keeper continues to get game time at Aston Villa with the World Cup coming up in 12 months. While he is confident the 33-year-old will keep his place, he reiterated that there is no need to draw conclusions too early.