Chelsea agree £7.5m fee for Villa’s Martinez

Chelsea have secured the signing of Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez for a fee of £7.5m. The Argentina international, who is 33 years old, is scheduled to undergo a medical examination in London. This move aims to bolster the goalkeeping options at Stamford Bridge, following concerns over the performances of Robert Sanchez.

Sanchez, who has been the club's first-choice goalkeeper since 2023, made two significant errors against Fulham, allowing goals to Josh King and Gonzalo García. The decision to sign Martinez represents a significant shift in Chelsea's approach, as they previously favored Sanchez but opted to pursue a new signing just days before the transfer deadline.

Mike Penders, a £17m signing from Genk, is also among Chelsea's available options, with his debut expected in the Carabao Cup against Luton Town. Villa initiated talks to sell Martinez after acquiring Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki from Parma for approximately £30m earlier this month. This signing follows a series of transfers between the two clubs, including Chelsea's £117m acquisition of Morgan Rogers from Villa and the opposite transfer of Alejandro Garnacho from Chelsea.

Nicolas Jackson, valued at around £65m, is also set to undergo a medical at Villa Park before reuniting with his former Villarreal manager, Unai Emery. The relationship between Chelsea and Villa remains strong, with their earlier involvement in a 'PSR swap' deal, where Chelsea received Ian Maatsen and Strasbourg's Omari Kellyman in exchange for Villa's defender.

Earlier, Juventus had shown interest in Martinez, but the deal fell through due to concerns over a finger injury. Instead, Juventus signed Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario on loan.