Emiliano Martinez says he has no regrets about staying at Aston Villa, even after being heavily linked with a move to Manchester United this time last year. Speaking before Villa’s trip to Istanbul, the Argentina goalkeeper said he was “really proud to stay” and insisted he had “made the right choice.”
Martinez had been expected by some to move on, with Ruben Amorim wanting to sign him from Villa last summer and United making changes to their goalkeeper department at the start of the 2025/26 season. Andre Onana was stripped of his first-choice duties, while Senne Lammens arrived from Royal Antwerp and was later voted United fans’ favourite summer signing on TalkingPoints. United never made an official offer for Martinez, but the link was strong enough to keep the conversation alive through the summer.
Now Martinez is preparing for one of the biggest nights of Villa’s modern era. Unai Emery’s side were due to face Freiburg in Istanbul on Wednesday night in the 2026 Europa League final, with the Spanish coach, who has won the competition four times, within reach of Villa’s first trophy in 30 years. Martinez made clear the decision to stay was not a reluctant one. “I had a commitment with Aston Villa. I’m a World Cup winner with Aston Villa. I won two Golden Gloves with Aston Villa. I will always and forever love this club,” he said.
He added that football can change quickly and that managers and players move around, but that does not lessen his respect for the club. “One day I am going to retire and somebody else will be between the sticks. I’m in a European final, we are in Champions League again, with all the ups and downs,” Martinez said. “We’ve got a top coach, we’ve got a top captain, we have a decent core of the team and when we stick together and fight together, we can beat anybody.”
The timing matters because Villa are not just playing for a cup, but for a season-defining breakthrough under Emery. Martinez’s comments also settle the question that hung over him for months: there was interest, but no official United bid, and no regret from the man who stayed. If Villa complete the job in Istanbul, his choice to remain will look less like caution and more like the decision that kept him in place for the club’s biggest night in a generation.
