Manchester United surprised everyone when they sent a £40 million offer to Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
The Red Devils have previously rejected an Argentina international early in the summer due to high transfer fees. In addition, Martinez's salary of up to £200,000/week is considered too expensive.
Instead of spending heavily on Martinez, Man United have turned to Royal Antwerp youngster Senne Lammens. The "Red Devils" overcame a series of big opponents in Europe to sign the 23-year-old talent for a fee of 20 million pounds.
This deal is expected to be completed before the transfer window deadline. Lammens is currently considered the successor to Thibaut Courtois in the Belgian national team.
However, Man United are now willing to spend heavily on a short-term solution with Martinez instead of patiently building for the future. The Argentine goalkeeper is about to turn 33, and both his age and personality are considered the reason why Aston Villa consider a transfer option.
Man United believes that recruiting the former Arsenal goalkeeper as a gambling den must be accepted, despite being pressured by PSR regulations after spending more than £200 million on new signings in the summer of 2025.
Coach Ruben Amorim's confidence in the goalkeeper position is also shaking. He no longer has full faith in Andre Onana - a £43 million contract - or the Altay Bayindir backup option.
Onana was even left out of the squad for the 3-2 win over Burnley at Old Trafford. The Cameroonian goalkeeper had a disastrous performance in the shocking defeat to Grimsby in the Carabao Cup in midweek.
However, Bayindir - who made a mistake in Fulham's equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage last week - continued his mistake when Burnley leveled the score for the second time.
"They are just human. At Man United, everything is being carefully screened. Everyone is talking about the goalkeeper. As you can see, I can change the goalkeeper, but situations like that continue to happen.
I think it is really difficult to be a Man United goalkeeper at the moment. If we look at the first goal, the whole team can defend better.
We had lost by a near-same goal against Fulham, when we didn't rotate the whole team in time when the ball was moved to the opposite wing. All those small details have nothing to do with the goalkeeper" - Amorim defended his student.
On the other hand, Aston Villa are also calculating a last-minute flash: bringing Lucas Paquete from West Ham to Villa Park. Coach Unai Emery has repeatedly urged the board to increase the force, but the constraints from the PSR regulations make it difficult for Villa to add personnel as desired.
After selling Jacob Ramsey, Martinez's departure could expand Villa's financial space, even as they continue to chase Paquete. The two sides negotiated a loan deal with a £50 million buy-to-know clause in the summer of next year.
Although the Brazilian international really wanted to leave, West Ham were not satisfied with the current terms. If Villa are willing to spend more money and turn the deal into a broken contract, the chance of success will be greater.
A new goalkeeper is also likely to join Villa Park. Emery is ready to put his faith in Marcobizot's experience in goal until January. However, that is in the case that Villa have not found a replacement for Martinez as desired.
