Latest Manchester United transfer news as Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is asked about the lack of Emi Martinez for the game against Crystal Palace
Unai Emery refused to discuss Emi Martinez’s future ahead of Aston Villa’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace.
Martinez has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United as Ruben Amorim’s side look to sign a new goalkeeper. BirminghamLive reports Villa are yet to receive a formal bid after turning down a loan approach earlier this summer.
Martinez was absent from Villa’s matchday squad for the clash against Palace on Sunday night, with reports indicating he is not in the proper mindset to play.
Speaking to Sky Sports before kick-off, Emery provided minimal explanation for Martinez’s exclusion.
When questioned about Martinez’s absence from the squad, Emery simply stated: “Marco Bizot.” That was a reference to Martinez’s replacement in goal for Villa.
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games this season, an increase of up to 100 more.
Following further probing on the matter, Emery reiterated: “Marco Bizot.” Asked additionally whether Bizot would be his number one goalkeeper moving forward, Emery once more answered: “Marco Bizot.”
United, meanwhile, are in the market for a new goalkeeper because of poor performances from Andre Onana an Altay Bayindir.
Bayindir started Saturday’s 3-2 defeat of Burnley at Old Trafford but was at fault for the visitors’ second goal.
“They are humans,” said United boss Ruben Amorim in defence of his goalkeepers. “At Manchester United, everything is analysed. “Everybody talks about the goalkeeper.
“And you can see, I can change the goalkeeper and these situations keep happening. “We are in that moment. “I think it is hard to be a Manchester United goalkeeper in this moment. “But if you look at the first goal, we can defend it better.
“We suffered a quite similar goal against Fulham, because we don’t do the full rotation of the team when the ball is on the other side. “All these small things have nothing to do with the goalkeeper.”
Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.
And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.
2025-08-31 18:12:17
