Villa have been willing to move Martinez on — signed from Arsenal for £17m in 2020 — and that stance was not about questioning his ability.
The club aimed to bring down the squad’s average age and, with Martinez among their highest earners, improve their financial position.
Their need to sell this summer — with Morgan Rogers joining Chelsea for £117m and Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne also departing — has been widely reported as they work to comply with Uefa and Premier League financial rules.
Letting Martinez go would have addressed both aims, especially with Suzuki turning 24 on Friday. Villa see him as a potential No 1 for the next decade.
This shift comes a month after director of football operations Damian Vidagany said he expected Martinez to stay.
Vidagany told 365 Scores that the goalkeeper’s future was settled, insisting Villa had no plans to let him go this summer.
He added that the team needs Martinez’s experience and that he is a key part of next season’s project.
He also said reports of a move to Juventus did not reflect the club’s position, stressing Martinez’s importance and expectation to keep performing at a high level with his team-mates.
Even so, Villa must now find an exit for Martinez or leave a high-cost asset out of the squad.
The Premier League window closes on 1 September, but there has been interest from Saudi Arabia, where the window remains open until 12 October. Turkey’s deadline is 4 September.
This is not the first time Martinez has been close to departing Villa, after interest from Manchester United last summer.
Ruben Amorim wanted Martinez, but United’s hierarchy opted to invest more heavily in forwards — £62.5m on Matheus Cunha and £65m on Bryan Mbeumo — seeing that as the better long-term strategy.
Instead, goalkeeper Senne Lammens arrived from Royal Antwerp for about £18m.
Martinez stayed and helped Villa win the Europa League, ending a 30-year trophy drought — but that famous night in Istanbul may have been his last for the club.