Manchester United have made a move to sign goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
Replacing a top goalkeeper is not easy. Just ask Sir Alex Ferguson, who tried out a number of names to replace the great Peter Schmeichel.
Ferguson’s first call was Mark Bosnich. That did not work out and neither did Massimo Taibi. World Cup winner Fabien Barthez was supposed to be the answer – but he ended up being far too error prone.
United then managed with Tim Howard and Roy Carroll between the sticks. It was not until a 2005 move for Edwin van der Sar for £2 million that Manchester United finally solved the problem – six years after Peter Schmeichel left the club.
Edwin van der Sar move worked for United
There were unique elements to the Edwin van der Sar deal beyond his price. The Dutchman had vast top level experience, playing in the Champions League with Ajax and Juventus, that made him uniquely prepared for the challenge at Manchester United.
Van der Sar was 34-years-old at the time, and was seen as a short-term move for the club. He went on to defy this, playing into his 40s.
The Dutchman set record for consecutive Premier League clean sheets, winning the Champions League in 2008 and four league titles.
The deal is regarded as one of Manchester United’s greatest ever signings, and sets a blueprint the club had an option to follow 20 years on with Emiliano Martinez.
Emiliano Martinez to Manchester United falls through
Manchester United made the move to sign exciting Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens, with a move for Emiliano Martinez falling through.
Lammens, 23, is an exciting talent but a risk as he has no Premier League experience, and this is where Emiliano Martinez might have been a shrewd signing.
Emiliano Martinez is no Edwin van der Sar, but he ticked some of the same boxes the Dutchman did.
It takes a big character to be able to handle the Old Trafford pressure, and Martinez has thrived in the biggest game in football.
His late save from Randal Kolo Muani in the final minute of the World Cup Final helped Argentina win the trophy in 2022, showing he can step up when it matters most.
Playing in goal for Manchester United is an arduous pressurised task, and 32-year-old Martinez has packed in a huge amount of experience into his career to prepare for this.
Arriving from another Premier League club, there would have been no mysteries over how he might adapt.
Ruben Amorim is betting long-term on Senne Lammens, but short-term Emiliano Martinez would have been a surefire success.
A lot is riding on the young Belgian, and United may regret not pushing through with a move for Martinez.
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