Atletico Madrid to rival Manchester United for Argentina star

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was holding back the tears this past weekend, as he played what looked like may be his final game at Villa Park. The Argentina international looks set to move on, and already suitors are showing interest in him.

Martinez, 32, has a contract until 2029 with Villa, but they appear to be keen to cash in on him. Previously it has also been suggested that he is not to the taste of manager Unai Emery. Sporting Director Monchi has reportedly set a €47.5m price tag, with reports that he is keen to activate Joan Garcia’s release clause at Espanyol.

Barcelona links to ‘Dibu’ Martinez

Earlier in the week, it was reported that Barcelona were also interested in Martinez, but that seems uncertain, with Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Wojciech Szczesny thought to be the pairing in mind for next season. If they are to bring a new goalkeeper, it also seems likely they will go for a younger option.

Dani Parejo (Villarreal): “Mbappé doesn’t surprise me what he can do. However, despite the goals he has scored, which are an outrage, I think Lamine scoring 20 goals less, adds much more.” @ellarguero

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) May 20, 2025

Manchester United and Atletico Madrid more serious candidates

In Spain, Diario AS have confirmed a report from Gaston Edul that Atletico have made an informal enquiry about Martinez, with Diego Simeone very keen on his compatriot. Manchester United, who are searching for a replacement for Andre Onana, are another top candidate, but Martinez is said to have a number of options.

🚨 Mario Suarez: “Atleti has shown that the squad lacks defensive talent, and that’s not just Simeone’s fault. They’ve spent 200 million and spent it poorly—on Gallagher and Sorloth—and in the key matches, they were on the bench.”@partidazocope pic.twitter.com/kjg9sZhjYK

— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) May 20, 2025

This much is also corroborated by TalkSport in England, who add that Saudi Arabia are also keen to sign Martinez, but so far he has rejected that idea. Martinez prefers to remain in Europe.

Price tag to be a problem?

For Atletico Madrid, it is no surprise that they are keen on Martinez, having brought in one of his competitors in the Argentina team Juan Musso on loan this past summer. There has been talk that Los Rojiblancos are looking to the future beyond Jan Oblak, one of their highest earners, but Martinez is no younger than Oblak. The Slovenian has a contract until 2028, and even if there is less confidence in him than there once was, it would be a major surprise if they spent big on Martinez to replace Oblak.