Agent says Utd transfer was ‘very close’ before U-turn due to Ten Hag preference

Manchester United were on the brink of signing Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez last summer, according to his agent.

Since leaving Arsenal, the Argentina shot-stopper's reputation has soared, culminating in him winning the Golden Glove award at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. That's in addition to lifting the tournament trophy itself after he played a key role in his country's penalty shootout win over France.

With David de Gea's contract expiring in 2023, United found themselves in the market for a new No. 1. However, they ended up signing Inter Milan's Andre Onana to replace the Spaniard after more than a decade of service.

But Martinez's agent, Gonzalo Goni, has now revealed his client was nearly the one to fill that role himself. The Villa talisman seemingly had a deal all but in place – before Erik ten Hag stepped in to push an alternative for the position.

"Last year he [Martinez] was very close to Manchester United, [but] the coach chose Onana, because he already knew him," Goni told ESPN Futbol 12 (via the Manchester Evening News). "But everyone at Manchester United later maintained that the ideal goalkeeper to win was Emiliano Martinez."

Ten Hag, 54, and Onana, 28, previously worked together at Ajax, where they won three Eredivisie titles together. And that will have played a critical part in the club tempting Cameroon's No. 1 to British shores.

However, there may have been other reasons why a deal for Martinez didn't materialise. In September 2021, the 31-year-old became a controversial figure at Old Trafford after he celebrated in front of the Stretford End following Bruno Fernandes' penalty miss.

Martinez later justified his actions on that infamous day and told Amazon Video Prime Sport: "The fact I danced in front of the crowd at Man United was because I could hear people insulting me all throughout the game. When they missed a penalty, I remembered all the s*** they were talking about me."

United fans managed to salvage a sliver of joy in 2022 when Martinez made a blunder at Villa Park, gifting the Reds a lead. Meanwhile, Martinez continues to revel in his role as a divisive player among opposition supporters.