Tottenham eyeing move for former Arsenal star who has been one of the star performers in the FIFA World Cup - Reports
Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in signing former Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
Martinez joined Arsenal from Independiente in 2010 but spent the majority of his time on loan away from the Emirates. He played for clubs like Wolverhampton Wanderers, Getafe CF, Reading, and Sheffield Wednesday.
The Argentine made just 38 senior appearances for Arsenal across competitions, keeping 16 clean sheets, and played a key role in their 2019-20 FA Cup win. He then joined Aston Villa permanently in the summer of 2020 and has been their first-choice goalkeeper ever since.
Martinez has also been excellent for Argentina at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, helping them reach the final. He has kept three clean sheets in six games and also saved two penalties in the shootout against the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.
As per GiveMeSport journalist Dean Jones, Martinez's performances have seen him garner interest from Tottenham, who are looking for Hugo Lloris' successor. Lloris has made some high-profile errors in the Premier League this season and will also turn 36 later this month.
Spurs are also rumored to be monitoring Everton and England No. 1 Jordan Pickford.
Jones said:
“A very interesting position at Spurs going forward. I do think they’re keeping an eye on the Pickford situation. I’m pretty sure they’re also looking at Emi Martinez and whether he might consider a move at the end of the season.”
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While Martinez is 30 years old and not a long-term solution, he could still be a good replacement for Lloris at Tottenham. The Aston Villa No. 1 has played 91 games for the Villans, keeping 30 clean sheets.
He could reportedly cost around £45 million.
Ally McCoist claims Manchester United defender is 'good enough' for Tottenham but not Arsenal
While Hugo Lloris has made errors, Tottenham Hotspur's defense has been far from consistent this season as well.
They have shipped 21 goals in 15 Premier League matches and need to tighten up at the back. Former Sunderland striker Ally McCoist believes Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has enough quality to be in Tottenham's starting XI.
McCoist feels Maguire will leave United in the January transfer window. He believes that the England international will look for more game time following his performances at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
McCoist also stated that Maguire won't get into the current Arsenal side, which has the joint-best defensive record in the league (11 goals conceded).
He told talkSPORT:
“I think he will move. I don’t think he may move, I’ll go one further – I think he WILL move. He isn’t going to hang around – he wants to play.
“I don’t think there are any guarantees that he’s going to march back into the Manchester United team, not in front of [Raphael] Varane and [Lisandro] Martinez.”
He added:
“Clearly he will want to play. Straight away off the top of my head, I’d say he’s good enough for Spurs. Arsenal? Maybe not at this moment in time. But he’s been one of England’s best players at the World Cup.”
Has Harry Maguire's World Cup performance put him back in Erik Ten Hag's plans? 🤔 https://t.co/hhJWWBADvQ
Maguire lost his starting spot in the Manchester United lineup just a few games into Erik ten Hag's reign. He has started in just five matches across competitions this season.