Reports: Emiliano Martinez close to Arsenal exit
According to Goal.com, Emiliano Martinez is close to sealing a £20 million pound switch to Aston Villa from Arsenal. Martinez is reportedly undergoing his medical at Villa. Martinez was Arsenal's second-choice goalkeeper last term and made 17 league appearances last season after first-choice keeper, Bernd Leno suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Martinez impressed one and all with his performances in goal for Arsenal. The Argentine has spent much of his career on loan away from the Emirates. Martinez, has been on loan at six different clubs during his eight years at Arsenal. His performances last season for Arsenal caught the eyes of Aston Villa.
Aston Villa initially made a £15 million bid for Martinez, rejected by Arsenal earlier this summer. With Aston Villa looking to continue their stint in their Premier League, after their last-minute escape in the 2019-20 season, the club are willing to part with £20 million for Martinez.
Arsenal have been short of funds to sign players this summer. The club have spent €40 million on the signings of Gabriel Magalhaes, and Pablo Mari this summer, but have resorted to signing players on loan or on a free.
Arsenal looking to raise funds with the sale of Emiliano Martinez
Manager Mikel Arteta is keen to make a few more additions to the squad. Therefore, he has had to resort to selling some players in order to fund any future deals. Arsenal have been linked with the likes of Houssem Aouar and Thomas Partey this summer. Both players have been valued by their clubs at €50 million.
The sale of Emiliano Martinez could be the first of many for Arsenal. The club are rumored to have transfer-listed Matteo Guendouzi, Lucas Torreira, Mesut Ozil and are even open to selling Hector Bellerin in a bid to raise funds.
In Emiliano Martinez, Aston Villa will be signing a potentially top-quality goalkeeper. Martinez has had experience of playing not only in the top flight with Arsenal but also in the lower leagues of English football after he spent season-long loans at Wolves, Reading and Oxford.
Aston Villa have thus far managed to keep a hold of their star players. Jack Grealish, John McGinn and Tyrone Mings, have all been the subject of interest from some of the bigger clubs in England, but seemed to have committed themselves to the Villa cause. The addition of a top goalkeeper will only help Villa push for a possible mid-table spot rather than face another relegation scrap.