Chelsea agree £7.5m fee for Villa’s Martinez

Chelsea have reached an agreement to sign Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez for a fee of £7.5 million. The 33-year-old Argentina international is scheduled to undergo a medical in London, which will strengthen Chelsea's goalkeeping options at Stamford Bridge. This move comes after concerns over the performances of Robert Sanchez, who has been the club's first-choice goalkeeper since 2023.

Sanchez made mistakes in Chelsea's recent 3-2 win over Fulham, allowing goals from Josh King and Gonzalo Garcia. The decision to pursue Martinez represents a significant shift in opinion at Chelsea, who had previously supported Sanchez. The club has also signed Mike Penders, a £17 million signing from Genk, who will make his debut in the Carabao Cup against Luton Town on Thursday.

Villa had been willing to sell Martinez since signing Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki from Parma for around £30 million earlier this month. This signing is part of a series of deals between Chelsea and Villa, including the transfer of forward Morgan Rogers from Villa for a club-record £117 million and the loan of Alejandro Garnacho to Villa last month.

Striker Nicolas Jackson, valued at approximately £65 million, is set to complete a medical at Villa Park, with a reunification with his former Villarreal manager, Unai Emery, expected.