Missing piece of jigsaw? Chelsea sign Emiliano Martínez from Aston Villa in €8.75m deal
Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez has left Aston Villa to join Chelsea in a deal worth €8.75m. Martínez has penned a two-year contract Villa with an option for one additional season. The 33-year-old’s future at Villa Park looked extremely uncertain after an earlier move to Juventus fell through, with Villa going on to sign Zion Suzuki from Parma to be their new No.1 going forward. And in a swift move, Martinez has become Chelsea's new No.1 within a matter of 48 hours.
The player has a current market value of €12 million, so the Blues have pulled off a deal with decent value. Robert Sánchez started Chelsea’s first game of the new season at Fulham on Monday, and had been backed by new manager Xabi Alonso. But he was at fault for both goals in a 3-2 win and dropped from the squad against Brighton. The 21-year-old goalkeeper Mike Penders has returned to the club this summer after spending last season on loan and impressing at Strasbourg. Martinez was handed his debut in between the sticks, with Sanchez not included in the 20-man squad, as they recorded a 4-3 win on Sunday.
With no European football at Stamford Bridge this term, an exciting manager in Alonso, and a potent front three of new club-record signing Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer and João Pedro, there is some hope that Chelsea may be able to challenge for the Premier League title this season. Sánchez was viewed as the weak link, though, and the Blues had to act fast to replace him.
The Blues have adapted their recruitment strategy to bring in more experienced players this summer after finishing 10th last term. Veterans Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson have already arrived, as well as players in their prime years such as Maxence Lacroix and Pep Chavarria. If the Blues can add a keeper with Martínez's experience to their ranks, they may need to start being taken a bit more seriously. The club have spent a mouth-watering sum of money in recent years under the new ownership, but it has not yet translate into challenging for the title again. Could signing Martínez change that?
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- Date of birth/Age:
- 02/09/1992 (33)
-
Nat.:
- Current club:
- Chelsea FC
- Contract until:
- 30/06/2029
- Position:
- Goalkeeper
- Market Value:
- €12.00m
- Date of birth/Age:
- 18/11/1997 (28)
-
Nat.:
- Current club:
- Chelsea FC
- Contract until:
- 30/06/2030
- Position:
- Goalkeeper
- Market Value:
- €22.00m
- Date of birth/Age:
- 31/07/2005 (21)
-
Nat.:
- Height:
- 2,00 m
- Current club:
- Chelsea FC
- Contract until:
- 30/06/2032
- Position:
- Goalkeeper
- Market Value:
- €25.00m
- Date of birth/Age:
- 21/08/2002 (24)
-
Nat.:
- Current club:
- Aston Villa
- Contract until:
- -
- Position:
- Goalkeeper
- Market Value:
- €30.00m
- Date of birth/Age:
- 10/03/1991 (35)
-
Nat.:
- Current club:
- Aston Villa
- Contract until:
- 30/06/2027
- Position:
- Goalkeeper
- Market Value:
- €1.50m
- Date of Birth/Age:
- 25/11/1981 (44)
-
Nat.:
- Current club:
- Chelsea FC
- Current Position:
- Manager
- Contract until:
- 30/06/2030
- In charge since:
- Jul 1, 2026
- Total Market Value:
- €1.25bn
- Competition:
- Premier League
- Position:
- 3.
- Manager:
- Xabi Alonso
- Squad size:
- 35
- Latest transfer:
- Emiliano Martínez
- Total Market Value:
- €538.50m
- Competition:
- Premier League
- Position:
- 17.
- Manager:
- Unai Emery
- Squad size:
- 28
- Latest transfer:
- Nicolas Jackson
