Martínez’s United legend Already Fading Into the Background
Just days after the transfer window slammed shut, Aston Villa fans are already looking ahead — and Marc Albrighton believes so should Emiliano Martínez.
The Argentine goalkeeper, who was linked heavily with a late move to Manchester United, missed Sunday’s defeat to Crystal Palace as speculation swirled over his future. But with no deal materializing and Old Trafford interest cooling, the World Cup winner remains very much a Villa player.
For Albrighton, himself a product of Villa’s academy and a Premier League veteran, the drama is unlikely to cast a long shadow.
“I do think he starts the next game,” Albrighton told reporters. “I’ve seen mixed stories about him wanting to leave. Maybe he was open to it, maybe not. But he’s a professional, and he’s had such a good spell at Villa. He knows how much the fans love him.”
That connection, Albrighton argues, is the anchor Martínez can lean on as he resets for the season ahead.
“This can easily be something that, two months down the line, is forgotten,” he added.
For Unai Emery, the priority now is simple: restore stability at the back and put his No. 1 keeper back between the posts. If Albrighton’s prediction proves correct, Martínez could soon shift the narrative from “what might have been” to “what comes next” — and Villa’s season may well depend on it.