Emi Martinez reacts as Galatasaray submit £21m+ bid for Aston Villa star
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Credit: Imago
Harri Burton
Mon 1 September 2025 15:26, UK
Emi Martinez appears to have already made his decision about leaving Aston Villa for Turkish giants Galatasaray before the transfer window shuts.
Man United have previously been linked with Martinez, who seemed to bid farewell to Villa Park at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, crying as he waved to the crowd after the final home game.
However, fast-forward to just hours before the closing of the summer transfer window, and the 32-year-old shot-stopper remains with Villa, albeit he was left out of the squad to face Crystal Palace.
When questioned about the decision, Unai Emery repeated Marco Bizot‘s name several times, forcing supporters to believe that a deal was very close for the Argentine’s exit.
The latest update on a potential move to Turkey, though, would suggest that Martinez might be having second thoughts over a permanent move away, or is just holding out for the dream move.
Taking to X (1 September), a Villa fan account shared Yakup Cinar’s news about Martinez, writing: “Galatasaray made a new €25m (£21.6m) offer to Aston Villa for Emi Martinez.
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“Great efforts are being made to finalise the transfer today,” to which FootMercato’s Santi Aouna simply responded: “He refused”.
Football Insider verdict
It has already been a massive fall from grace for the Villans, who have yet to score a single goal in three Premier League matches, seeing them fall to 19th in the table.
Supporters were hoping for a rebound from the club after narrowly missing out on Champions League football last season, but financial concerns appear to have handicapped their summer plans.
Ollie Watkins, who was heavily linked with a Villa exit over the last few weeks, has been completely off his stride, and so too have Morgan Rogers, John McGinn, Youri Tielemans, and Ezri Konsa.
Football Insider understands that Villa have opened talks to sign Harvey Elliott, with the Liverpool star closing in on a move to Villa Park, and that will be seen as a huge coup.
Attacking reinforcements are clearly needed, with Europa League football also needing to be considered, but the goalkeeper situation will also require solving before the transfer window slams shut.
Martinez has been the first-choice option since his arrival, and would likely stay between the sticks for years to come, but the end of last season made everyone believe that his future lay elsewhere.