Manchester United have been urged to sign Argentina World Cup star Emiliano Martinez as a long-term replacement for David de Gea.
Martinez has grown his status massively over the past few weeks thanks to some incredible performances for Argentina at the World Cup. He produced a stunning save in extra-time to deny Randal Kolo Muani before his antics in the penalty shoot-out helped his team secure the trophy against France.
The 30-year-old picked up the Golden Glove award for the best goalkeeper in the tournament and now has hero status in Argentina. When the celebrations finish and Martinez returns to England, he is set to hold talks with Aston Villa about his future.
His performances in Qatar have not gone unnoticed by other clubs, with Bayern Munich among those interested in signing Martinez. They could be joined by Manchester United, who have a decision to make on De Gea.
De Gea’s current contract is due to expire at the end of the season. Mirror Football understands that United have now opened talks over extending it. That might be a mistake, according to former England international Jay Bothroyd, who thinks Martinez would make the perfect replacement.
He told Sky Sports News: "He (De Gea) is a top keeper, he had a good season last year. But he's on a lot of money, he's one of the highest paid players in the Premier League. I think he's on about £350,000 a week, that's a lot for a goalkeeper. Now, for example, if I was Man United, I'd be looking at other options, like you would.
"You would have to look around, Martinez being one of them. Yes, he's at Aston Villa, but that could potentially be an option for them."
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De Gea has been United’s undisputed No1 during most of his 11 years at Old Trafford. He has made 507 appearances for the club and has stated his desire to finish his career with United.
The 32-year-old saw off a challenge from Dean Henderson for his place, with the England international joining Nottingham Forest on loan for the season. United signed Martin Dubravka as Henderson’s replacement on a season-long loan, but could be in the market for another goalkeeper in 2023.
Martinez is under contract with Aston Villa until June 2027, meaning the Premier League side are in a strong position to reject approaches from rivals. Villa have no plans to cash in on their World Cup star and reportedly view him as a potential successor to John McGinn as captain.
He has kept three clean sheets in 15 appearances so far this season for Villa and has developed a speciality against penalties. He saved the first two penalties from Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis in Argentina’s shoot-out win over the Netherlands in the quarter-finals and saved Kingsley Coman’s effort in the final.
