Manchester United completed negotiations for Senne Lammens on Sept. 1 after a summer in which Emiliano Martínez’s future remained unsettled. Martínez had been linked with a move to Old Trafford and at one point appeared to bid farewell to Aston Villa supporters, but he stayed and has since spoken publicly about that decision.

The Argentine’s status was uncertain when the new season began in August. His return was delayed after the opening day and he made his comeback in the following Villa match, only to be left out of the squad for a game played the day before the summer transfer deadline. United continued talks over Lammens and did not close that deal until Sept. 1, a timeline that allowed the club to keep options open.

“Sometimes football can change, managers can come in and go. People move around the place, but it doesn’t mean that I [don’t] have full respect and love for [Aston Villa],” Martínez told reporters ahead of this week’s Europa League final in Istanbul.

“I had a commitment with Aston Villa. I’m a World Cup winner [with Argentina ] with Aston Villa. I won two [Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper awards] with Aston Villa. I will always and forever love this club. One day I am going to retire and somebody else will be between the sticks.

“I’m in a European final, we are in Champions League [next season] again, with all the ups and downs. We’ve got a top coach, we’ve got a top captain, we have a decent core of the team and when we stick together and fight together, we can beat anybody.

“I’m really proud to stay. I made the right choice.”

Reports since have suggested United’s then manager Ruben Amorim favoured Martínez for his experience, while a rival view from inside the club recommended Lammens. That recommendation came from goalkeeping scout Tony Coton, who had tracked Lammens for six years through Belgium’s youth teams, Club Brugge and a senior breakthrough with Royal Antwerp.

Coton discussed his assessment on Manchester United’s Inside Carrington podcast. “I wanted to see his concentration levels if, when I’m talking, he is looking elsewhere. Is he looking at the video still and this, that and the other?” Coton said. “And he was just locked. He was just locked onto me and I’m thinking: ‘Yeah, he’s got a real focus.’ And I’d seen that in his game.

“[United] asked me could he go straight into the team and I said: ‘Yes, straight away.’ I had to say that anyway because I’d recommended him!”

Martínez, who became a top-flight starter at 28 after a decade as a backup at Arsenal, still has a contract with Aston Villa until the summer of 2029. He would be close to 37 by its expiry and will have spent nine years at Villa Park. In recent seasons Villa have gone deep in European competitions, qualified for the Champions League twice and come within a point of a second top-four Premier League finish in three years.

Yan Diomande has emerged as one of the Bundesliga’s most watched teenagers, yet the RB Leipzig winger gave a clear indication that a move is not on his mind immediately. The 19-year-old from Côte d’Ivoire joined Leipzig from Leganés last summer after making his senior debut for the Spanish side less than 14 months ago. In his first full top-flight season he has recorded 21 Bundesliga goals and assists.

His ability to play on either flank has generated interest. Manchester United are noted to lack a natural left-sided option, while Liverpool face the problem of a Mohamed Salah-sized gap on the right. Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have also been linked.

Asked about his future in an interview with kicker, Diomande said: “I’m not thinking about [leaving] right now. I’m at Leipzig and I enjoy playing here. In the end, it’s always the statistics that count. It’s been a fantastic year for me.” That statement underlines Leipzig’s current negotiating position.

Leipzig have placed a steep price on Diomande, widely reported at €100 million ($116.2 million, £86.7 million). The club will return to the Champions League in 2026–27 after not competing in UEFA competition this season, bolstering their hand in any transfer discussions.

There are precedents for Leipzig managing young exits over time. Benjamin Šeško’s potential move in 2024 was deferred by 12 months after he signed a new contract that included an understanding the club would facilitate a transfer in 2025. There are already reports Diomande has held talks over fresh terms at the Red Bull Arena that could carry a similar expectation. If he maintains his form, a substantial move next year—when he will still be only months shy of his 21st birthday—remains feasible.

For Premier League clubs, the practical alternatives are limited. One option under consideration is Anthony Gordon, primarily a left winger who can operate on the right or as a false nine. Liverpool could view Gordon as an upgrade on Cody Gakpo and reshuffle to cover the right with Jeremie Frimpong higher, or Dominik Szoboszlai or Florian Wirtz on the right. Gordon grew up supporting Liverpool, was released by their academy at 11 and then joined Everton, and reports link him with an approach from Bayern Munich.

Rasmus Højlund will leave Manchester United once the summer window opens, with his loan at Napoli becoming a permanent transfer after the Serie A side clinched Champions League qualification.

Napoli’s 3–0 victory at Pisa secured a top-four finish with one match remaining. Højlund scored the third goal in stoppage time, a strike that triggered a $51.2 million (£38.4 million) transfer that will be completed in the coming weeks. The deal means Højlund will not return to Manchester United and avoids the uncertainty affecting Marcus Rashford’s future at this moment in time.

Antonio Conte has used Højlund as his preferred No. 9 this season, a role made easier by Romelu Lukaku missing months through injury. The 23-year-old striker has scored 11 goals in Serie A and 15 in all competitions, one fewer than he managed for Manchester United in 2023–24.

The fee represents a loss on United’s initial 2023 outlay for the player from Atalanta, which began at $81.9 million. United will recoup just over 60% of that figure. The sale nonetheless brings a substantial sum into the club and clears a player who was regarded as surplus to requirements after Benjamin Šeško arrived.

Højlund posted on Instagram shortly after the final whistle:

“This goal felt symbolic because it means two things. We now secured Champions League with Napoli, which means because of my contract I’m now officially a Napoli player and I’m saying goodbye to Manchester United,” he wrote on Instagram . “That feels weird, because for the past year I already feel like a Napoli player. The way you fans supported me, made me feel like home and let me find my confidence again is something I’m so grateful for.

“To say goodbye to Manchester United is something that kinda feels emotional too. My childhood dream came true by playing at Old Trafford in a red jersey. So the goal today symbolizes a new confident start, in which I will give everything for the time ahead to Napoli, and a thank you to all the fans, players and staff of Manchester United who made the dream I had as a kid come true. It’s time for new dreams, so let’s chase them.

Højlund’s No. 9 shirt has not been worn since the final day of the 2024–25 Premier League season, a year and a week ago, and will soon be officially vacated. The club faces a decision over who, if anyone, will wear the No. 9 next season, though United are not expected to prioritise a striker in the upcoming market. Central midfield, left wing, left back and goalkeeper are higher priority positions.