Aston Villa came close to pulling off a big move in the transfer window. The club had everything ready, a huge offer lined up, and the chance to bring in one of Europe’s brightest names.
But in the end, nothing happened. Unai Emery’s side had been preparing for weeks.
Villa wanted to secure their future between the posts, knowing that interest around their current number one, Emiliano Martinez, had been building.
Manchester United had considered making a late push for the Argentine, especially after a horrible showing from both their current goalkeepers, Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir.
That potential switch forced Villa to explore options of their own.
The plan was simple. If Martinez left, Villa would spend around €50 million on a replacement.
Talks had progressed, and the club was confident that the move would be possible before the deadline.
But United did not follow through with their interest, as they signed Senne Lammens, and Villa’s strategy of signing Diogo Costa from FC Porto fell apart.
Costa has become one of Portugal’s finest talents. At just 25, he has already played more than 140 games for Porto and is the first-choice goalkeeper for his national side.
Costa is tied to Porto with a release clause of €75 million, which reflects his value in the market.
Missing out on signing Diogo Costa will feel like a setback for Villa, which is trying to build a squad capable of making noise in Europe.
The key reason behind it all was Emiliano Martinez. His expected departure never happened, as United instead moved for Belgian youngster Senne Lammens.
Martinez stayed in Birmingham, and Villa’s opportunity to land Costa disappeared with him.
Even so, Villa have not given up. Sources close to the club suggest they will continue monitoring Costa and could make a move next summer.
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