Manchester United, Aston Villa and Chelsea could enter goalkeeper transfer race and it is not Emiliano Martinez

Aston Villa are looking to find bidders for their World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez this summer, with Premier League rivals Manchester United and Chelsea reportedly interested in the 32-year-old. Interestingly, Martinez’s potential successor at Villa Park is also a sought-after goalkeeper among top European sides—and may attract bids from Chelsea and United as well.

 

The goalkeeper in question is OGC Nice's Marcin Bulka. Both Manchester United and Chelsea are believed to prefer the 25-year-old Polish shot-stopper over Martinez, given the opportunity.

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Complicating matters for Aston Villa, newly promoted Premier League sides Leeds United and Sunderland have also shown interest in Bulka, alongside the financially affluent Newcastle United.

 

Turkish giants Galatasaray had previously submitted a €20 million offer for the Ligue 1 star, but it was turned down as Bulka prefers a move to La Liga, Serie A, or the Premier League in order to compete at the highest level. AC Milan are also monitoring the situation, although they have yet to submit a formal bid, according to a report by Caught Offside.

 

 

Former Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Marcin Bulka is currently valued at around €20–25 million following a strong season in Ligue 1, during which he kept eight clean sheets in 34 appearances. However, according to Transfermarkt, he actually managed an impressive 17 clean sheets in 34 games during the 2023–24 season.

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His formative years included stints with Chelsea’s Under-18 and Under-23 squads before he joined PSG on a free transfer in 2020. This prior connection with Chelsea could give the London club an edge over Manchester United and Aston Villa if they decide to make the Polish international their starting goalkeeper—potentially ahead of Robert Sánchez and Filip Jørgensen.

 

In Manchester United’s case, André Onana’s costly errors have repeatedly hurt the team since his arrival from Inter Milan. If Bulka is available at a lower price than Emiliano Martinez, there would be little reason for United to hesitate.

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However, there is no certainty around the move just yet. Nice may still convince Bulka to sign a contract extension and wait for a more lucrative offer down the line. The Polish goalkeeper's current deal with the former French champions runs until June 2026.

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