Manchester United were pushing ahead with a deal to sign Emiliano Martinez on deadline day before it all came crumbling apart.
Signing a new goalkeeper was a top priority for Manchester United on the final day of the transfer window, and Ineos have made it happen with a £17m deal for Senne Lammens agreed.
Lammens is set to join as Ruben Amorim’s fifth major addition of the summer, but just hours before that deal was announced it seemed as though Emiliano Martinez was the favourite.
Jadon Sancho is set to join Aston Villa, and it seemed as though he would be included as part of a deal that saw Martinez join the Red Devils.
But now United have ended their pursuit of Martinez, and it seems Jadon Sancho is at the centre of it all.
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty ImagesJadon Sancho refusal caused Emi Martinez deal to collapse
Ineos have been working all summer to try and offload Sancho, but he has refused several moves away as he clings on to his salary at United.
Villa are paying 80% of Sancho’s wages during his loan spell in 2025/26, but United would have much preferred a permanent deal.
However, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Sancho said no to a permanent move, and that is why the Martinez deal became impossible for United on deadline day.
Speaking on GiveMeSport, Romano said: “The idea of Manchester United from what I’m hearing was to do a permanent deal swap with Jadon Sancho and Emi Martinez.
“Not to involve any money basically with a valuation of around £25 million for both players. But, at the moment, from what I’m hearing, this is impossible because Sancho is only going on loan.
“Sancho is not accepting a permanent move, so a loan deal to Aston Villa and for Martinez there are other options to explore.”
Jadon Sancho has been the bane of Man United’s window
The summer window started with Sancho’s move to Chelsea collapsing, meaning United were stuck with him once again.
The window has also ended with more drama around the 25-year-old, after he rejected several offers from around Europe.
Roma were left frustrated at Sancho after he snubbed their offer, and it seems he is determined to cling onto his wages at United for as long as possible.
Sancho’s contract expires in 2026, meaning he is set to become a free agent unless United choose to trigger his extension and look for a permanent sale.
Ultimately, everyone involved at United will be glad to see the back of Sancho. Even in his final hours at the club, he managed to collapse a potential swap deal for Martinez.