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Martínez joins Chelsea
Chelsea signed Argentina World Cup winner Emiliano Martínez from Aston Villa on a three-year deal, with the London club announcing the move after the goalkeeper’s arrival from the Premier League side.
“Chelsea is delighted to announce the signing of Argentinian international Emiliano Martínez from Aston Villa”
Martínez, who is 33, said in a statement published on Chelsea’s website on Sunday, “I’m all passion, and I play with my heart. I will give 100 percent every game, every training session to make the club, my teammates, and the supporters proud,” as he prepared to return to London.
The transfer was described as worth 7.5 million pounds ($10m) by British media, and Sky Sports reported it as a three-year contract for £7.5m as Chelsea reshuffled their goalkeeping options.
Sky Sports also linked the timing to criticism of Chelsea’s current No 1 Robert Sánchez after a 3-2 victory over local rivals Fulham to open their Premier League campaign on Monday.
Aston Villa’s summer departures included Lucas Digne, Ezri Konsa, Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers, and Ollie Watkins, and Sky Sports reported that Villa had also signed Japanese goalkeeper Zion Suzuki earlier in the transfer window.
Competition and quotes
Chelsea’s signing placed Martínez into a direct goalkeeping contest with Robert Sánchez and Mike Penders, with La Vanguardia stating that “At Chelsea, the 'Dibu' will compete with Robert Sánchez and Mike Penders for the starting spot.”
Sky Sports reported that Sánchez came under criticism again after his error in last Monday’s win at Fulham, and it framed Martínez’s arrival as a move that could address Chelsea’s difficulties in that position.
Martínez’s own comments to Chelsea’s official media emphasized both ambition and effort, with the club’s announcement quoting him: “I want to be successful here. I’m someone who wants to win at everything I do.”
La Vanguardia added that Martínez’s arrival could trigger new moves at Chelsea, because either Penders or Sánchez could decide to leave, noting that “with no European competition, opportunities for the Blues’ goalkeepers are very limited.”
Sky Sports also reported that Martínez was the second player to move between the Blues and Villa this summer after striker Nicolas Jackson moved from the capital to Birmingham on Friday.
Why the move happened
Several outlets tied the transfer to Aston Villa’s squad changes, with La Vanguardia saying Martínez had been relegated to a substitute role after the signing of Zion Suzuki.
“the arrival of Zion Suzuki had relegated him to a backup role”
HolaNews reported that Martínez had a contract with Villa until 2029, but that “the arrival of Zion Suzuki had relegated him to a backup role, so both parties agreed that a departure was the most appropriate.”
Sky Sports said Martínez had been demoted to second choice at Villa Park after Zion Suzuki’s arrival from Parma, and it described Martínez as having joined Villa in 2020 and making more than 250 appearances.
The Chelsea announcement also placed Martínez’s career path in context, noting he completed a move to Arsenal in August 2010 at age 17 and later signed for Aston Villa in September 2020.
With the deal now complete, the transfer leaves Villa after 256 appearances and a Europa League title, while Chelsea’s goalkeeping picture shifts under manager Xabi Alonso as Martínez arrives to compete for the starting spot.