Fabrizio Romano drops bombshell on Emiliano Martinez to Man Utd

Steve Pearson 18 Jul 2025 8:31 AM

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, Man Utd badge

Fabrizio Romano has weighed in on the Emiliano Martinez to Man Utd speculation

Fabrizio Romano has weighed in on intensifying claims Manchester United are closing in on the signing of Aston Villa goalkeeper, Emiliano Martinez.

Andre Onana produced yet another error-strewn season at Old Trafford, with his two campaigns at Man Utd thus far showing little to suggest he’s the long-term answer.

Man Utd are exploring the market for additions in positions further back from the final third. Goalkeeper is a position they’d love to make a change in later in the window if finances allow.

United’s clear strategy this summer is to sign players with plenty of Premier League experience. Matheus Cunha has been banked and on Thursday, Man Utd launched what they hope is a decisive third bid for Bryan Mbeumo.

Furthermore, reliable Argentine journalist, Gaston Edul, recently brought news of Man Utd looking into a move for Villa stopper Martinez.

Follow-up reports from Argentina then stated United were prepping a £33m bid for the World Cup winner. It was even stated Martinez was ‘on the verge of joining the Red Devils’.

The rampant speculation has prompted a response from transfer guru Fabrizio Romano who has brought some much-needed clarity to the situation.

“Manchester United have not made any bid,” stated Romano on his YouTube channel. “Aston Villa sources also guarantee that they’ve not received any official bid from Man Utd.

“Man Utd spoke to Martinez’s representatives several times to be informed about the situation of the player.

“But this already happened in June, it’s not yesterday or today or this week. In June they had conversations about the situation of Emi Martinez.

“Now Andre Onana is injured (hamstring strain), but it’s not a super long injury, [his recovery] is a matter of weeks.

“So let’s see how this conversation will continue but what’s important to say is at the moment there are still no club-to-club negotiations.”

“But Man Utd are aware of the situation of Emi Martinez. He could be open to joining Man Utd even if they don’t play European football this season.

“This now depends on United but at the moment I’m not aware of any concrete negotiations or anything close to being completed.”

Romano concluded by stating that as of right now, United’s focus in the market is on more “crucial” positions, like the one Bryan Mbeumo will play in if signed…

Bryan Mbeumo latest

United tabled their third bid for Mbeumo on Thursday, with the offer totalling £70m (£65m plus £5m in add-ons).

The Red Devils aim to wrap up a deal for Mbeumo in time for the forward to travel with the club on their pre-season tour of America at the start of next week.

At the time of this article’s publication, Brentford are yet to accept or reject the offer, though multiple sources including TBR Football and the Evening Standard strongly suggest it will be accepted.

If signed, Mbeumo will play alongside Cunha in the dual No 10 roles behind the striker in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 formation.

At that point, United will then turn their attention to signing a new starting striker and potentially an upgrade on Onana, such as Martinez.