Chelsea has finalized a deal to acquire Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez from Aston Villa for a transfer fee of £7.5 million ($10.2 million), according to sources cited by ESPN’s James Olley.
The 33-year-old goalkeeper will join the Stamford Bridge team on a two-year contract, marking the end of his six-year tenure at Villa.
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According to ESPN, Chelsea was presented with the opportunity to sign Martínez by his agents, leading to a rapid conclusion of the deal for the goalkeeper, who is expected to become the club’s first-choice keeper.
Aston Villa recently signed Japan international Zion Suzuki and has been looking to offload Martínez, especially after a potential move to Juventus fell through earlier this month.
Chelsea’s goalkeeping dilemma has been under the spotlight following Robert Sánchez’s disappointing display in their recent 3-2 victory against Fulham, where he made a costly error on a low shot from Josh King.
There had been hopes that 19-year-old Belgian goalkeeper Mike Penders, who spent last season on loan at Strasbourg and made his first-team debut against Luton in the Carabao Cup on Thursday, would emerge as a contender to challenge Sánchez for the starting position.
However, the prospect of acquiring an experienced goalkeeper and established international is appealing for a club aiming to compete for the title this season, prompting Chelsea’s swift decision.
Martínez was instrumental in Argentina’s 2022 World Cup win and was a key player for the squad that finished as runners-up to Spain in this year’s tournament.
Sánchez’s inconsistent performances have troubled Chelsea managers in recent times, leading Mauricio Pochettino to drop him as the starter in 2024 in favor of the relatively inexperienced Serbia international Djordje Petrovic. Other coaches like Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior have also benched him due to his poor form.
Aston Villa has expressed a willingness to sell Martínez, who arrived from Arsenal for £17 million in 2020, as part of their strategy to rejuvenate their squad.
Following their 4-0 defeat to Brighton in their Premier League opener last weekend, Villa will now face defending champions Arsenal this Monday without five of their standout players from last season’s Europa League-winning team: Martínez, center-back Ezri Konsa, midfielders Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers, and striker Ollie Watkins.
Konsa has joined Arsenal; Rogers and Tielemans have transferred to Chelsea and Manchester United respectively; while Watkins is reportedly heading to Saudi Arabia, having not played this season yet. Left-back Lucas Digne has also departed to join Paris Saint-Germain.
Villa is reportedly close to signing Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea as a replacement for Watkins, while Johan Manzambi was acquired from Freiburg after an impressive World Cup performance for Switzerland but is currently sidelined due to injury.
“This issue of losing players in the summer is something we’ve faced every season, and we have always managed to get through it,” said Villa manager Unai Emery on Thursday. “It’s a challenge we must accept, but the players have consistently risen to the occasion.
“It’s difficult for us each year, but we remain composed.”
Contributions to this report were made by PA and The Associated Press.