Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur want to sign 2022 FIFA World Cup winner in the summer: Reports
Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly set to battle it out to snap up Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez this summer.
Martinez, 30, has emerged as one of the most prominent shot-stoppers in Europe over the past two seasons due to his stellar performances at club level. So far, he has registered 33 clean sheets in 99 matches for Aston Villa since arriving from Arsenal for around £20 million in 2020.
A right-footed vocal presence inside the penalty box, the Independiente academy graduate was vital to Argentina's 2022 FIFA World Cup win. He bagged the famed Golden Glove award after saving two spot-kicks in the thrilling final against 2018 champions France in Qatar.
Campeones del mundo 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷❤️❤️❤️❤️ https://t.co/jBr7GnRkLG
According to Fichajes, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are both willing to enter a bidding war for Martinez in the upcoming summer transfer window. Villa are ready to let their star depart for a fee of £25 million.
While Manchester United were also said to be in pursuit of Martinez, the club have dropped out of the race after David de Gea's renewal.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are currently in search of a first-team goalkeeper after below-par outings from both their custodians, Edouard Mendy and Kepa Arrizabalaga. While the former is expected to secure an exit this summer, the latter is likely to continue as the club's backup option.
Tottenham Hotspur, on the other hand, are also in need of a top shot-stopper in the future as Hugo Lloris is considered to be past his best.
Martinez, who was named the 2022 Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper last month, has a contract until June 2027 at the Unai Emery-coached side.
🏽So proud! Thank you again 💪🏽🇦🇷 https://t.co/KknQQLj6UP
Christian Falk says 21-year-old Bundesliga midfielder is interested in joining Chelsea
In his column for Caught Offside, BILD reporter Christian Falk shared his thoughts on Borussia Monchengladbach star Emmanuel Kouadio Kone's immediate future. He wrote:
"Manu Kone is a player every league has an eye on, his contract is still until 2025. Everybody knows there that there is a big chance for other clubs to get him, so that's why they’ve come up with this price-tag. £26.6 million sounds like a crazy amount in England with the pound valuation and in Germany you say it’s €30 million."
Naming three potential suitors for the central midfielder, Falk added:
"PSG also has an eye on him. We asked him about his future and he told us that it would be interesting to play with Kylian Mbappé. He's been dreaming of two clubs: Real Madrid and Chelsea!"
Shedding light on Kone's admiration for the Blues, Falk continued:
"Kone brought up Chelsea because he was a big fan of Didier Drogba, which explains his fascination with the club. There's nothing concrete but he's potentially going to leave in the summer."