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Another mistake from Ten Hag, the reason why Man United's coach didn't sign Dibu Martinez

Erik Ten Hag reportedly had the chance to sign Emiliano Martinez at one point.

By Emmanuel Mendez

Erik Ten Hag looks up at an empty Old Trafford while the Manchester United badge is next to him and Emiliano Martinez is below him. (Source: Fabrizio Romano X)

Manchester United will keep Erik Ten Hag next season after a shaky campaign in the 2023/2024 season. The Red Devils trust in the Dutch manager, and he will look to do better with the team in the upcoming season with new players potentially arriving. There is a concern about the Dutchman's choice of signings, and now he is questioned again as he had the opportunity to sign for one of the best keepers in the world. Ten Hag had the chance to bring in Emiliano 'El Dibu' Martinez. The Argentine keeper is currently at Aston Villa, but last summer, he was close to joining Manchester United, according to his agent. Gustavo Goñi, Martinez's representative, spoke to ESPN and said, "Last year, Emiliano was very close to Manchester United, but the coach [Ten Hag] had a lot of weight and chose Onana, who already knew him and had had him at Ajax. But everyone at Manchester United maintained that the ideal goalkeeper was Emiliano.” The Argentine keeper has been at Aston Villa since the summer of 2020, and Ten Hag had a big say in the signings for Man United in the past two summer transfer windows.

Emiliano Martinez is currently valued at around $28 million in the transfer market, and he will turn 32 in September. He has made a total of 159 appearances for Aston Villa since his move in 2020. He conceded 195 goals and has kept 54 clean sheets. The Argentine keeper has been vital for them in securing Champions League football next season after finishing 4th in the past season with 68 points. Aston Villa conceded 61 goals throughout the Premier League season, and their record was 20 wins, eight draws, and 10 losses.

As mentioned, Ten Hag had a big say in the transfers that Manchester United made over the past two summer transfer windows. Ten Hag signed players he is familiar with, like Lisandro Martinez, Antony, and Andre Onana. While Martinez has been a success at Man United, fans have questioned Antony and Onana because of their inconsistent performances. Ten Hag signed a new contract that doesn't allow him to have lots of control over the signings that the club wants to make this summer transfer window. If this reported agreement had been last summer, then Emiliano Martinez would've potentially joined the club ahead of Onana, who shined for Inter Milan in Italy and in the Champions League.

Erik Ten Hag on staying at Manchester United

Ten Hag spoke about signing a new contract with the club until 2026 and said, "I am very pleased to have reached agreement with the club to continue working together. Looking back at the past two years, we can reflect with pride on two trophies and many examples of progression from where we were when I joined."

The Dutch coach assured a better time at the club and said, "However, we must also be clear that there is still lots of hard work ahead to reach the levels expected of Manchester United, which means challenging for English and European titles."

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