Arsenal legend Tony Adams claims Gunners shouldn't have sold £20m star in 2020
Arsenal legend Tony Adams believes the club made a mistake selling Argentine goalkeeper Emi Martinez in 2020. The former Gunners shotstopper helped the North London side win the FA Cup, their last trophy, before being sold to Aston Villa for £20 million.
Mikel Arteta's side has gone from strength to strength since Martinez moved to Villa, becoming one of the best teams in England. The Gunners have come close to dethroning Manchester City in the last two seasons, playing some of the best football in Europe.
Adams, though, believes that his beloved club made one mistake along the way, telling Sky Sports:
“I liked Martinez to be honest with you. I thought he was a perfectly great goalkeeper, but Arteta isn’t afraid to make a decision.”
The North Londoners recently brought in Brentford shot-stopper David Raya on loan with an option to make the deal permanent. The Spaniard was brilliant for the side, claiming the golden glove as the Gunners maintained the meanest defence in the league, thanks to his 16 clean sheets.
Emi Martinez has been fabulous in his own right, winning the World Cup with his nation in 2022 and staring prominently in the shootout win in the final against France. He has also been immense in the Premier League, helping Aston Villa to qualify for the UEFA Champions League last season, keeping eight clean sheets.
Who is Tony Adams aka Mr Arsenal?
Tony Adams is an Arsenal legend who spent 19 years at the North London club and is considered one of the greatest defenders in the club's and England's history. He made over 650 appearances for his beloved club and won four league titles.
He signed for the Gunners in 1980 and made his debut in 1983 at 17 against Sunderland. Three years later, Tony Adams established himself as a regular in the team and was named the captain at just 21 and remained so for 14 years.
He was famed for his discipline in the heart of defence and alongside Lee Dixon, Nigel Winterburn and Steve Bould formed one of the meanest defenses England has ever seen. The "famous back four" played together for over a decade and notably conceded only 18 goals during the 1990-91 league-winning campaign for Arsenal.
Tony Adams remained a key part of the Gunners defence for over a decade after his famous 1990-91 league win, claiming two more league titles in 1997-98 and 2001-02. He retired after his last league win as a one-club man and remains a fond part of Arsenal folklore.