Varun Pai
Manchester United are considering replacing David de Gea with Aston Villa ace Emiliano Martinez
According to the Daily Star, Manchester United are ready to make Aston Villa star Emiliano Martinez their first choice goalkeeper once David de Gea leaves the club.
The Red Devils have been blessed with several wonderful goalkeepers in the past three decades. Peter Schmeichel, Edwin van der Sar, and David de Gea have maintained the tradition of foreign goalkeepers excelling between the posts for the Old Trafford outfit. However, De Gea is set to be out of contract in 2023, and Man United are making plans to fill his shoes.
Martinez is amongst their potential targets and has impressed since swapping The Emirates for Villa Park in 2020. The shot-stopper excelled in the latter stages of the 2019/20 season with Arsenal and sealed a move to Aston Villa in the following campaign. Since then, he has been one of their standout players. Man United are ready to pay £50million for his services if their Spanish keeper leaves the theatre of dreams in 2023.
Although Martinez has caught the eye of the hierarchy, he is not the only name on the list. Illan Meslier has also impressed at Leeds United with his incredible reflex saves and big stature. The Frenchman could also be a potential long term replacement to De Gea, since he is only 21.
Planning ahead
It is better to have and not need than to need and not have. Dean Henderson would be the ideal option to take over the torch since he is one of our own. However, he does not appear to be keen to wait and is seeking regular playtime immediately. He is currently forcing an exit as he looks determined to make the cut for England’s 2022 World Cup squad.
Man United need to plan ahead since De Gea could have a dip in form over the next 18 months. The professional life of a goalkeeper is often more than outfield players, but most of what the Spaniard does depends on his athleticism and flexibility.
Thus, there is a very real chance that the hierarchy might not be keen on extending his current deal. In such a scenario, signing Martinez could be an interesting option, but Meslier would be the wiser option to prioritize.
The Leeds ace has just as much Premier League experience as compared to the Argentinian, but he is also eight years younger than the 29-year-old Villa star. Martinez is certainly a capable keeper but he will also be 30 when De Gea’s contract expires in 2-2023.
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Hence, with an eye on the future, signing Meslier would be a clever move. Then again, this is a good problem to have but not one to ignore. There is still time for us to identify a proper replacement before we end up with a panic buy.
