Chelsea have reportedly been offered the chance to sign Aston Villa and Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez for £45 million, placing them in direct competition with Manchester United for the World Cup winner’s signature.
Villa, under pressure to meet Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), may be forced to sell one of their prized assets despite manager Unai Emery’s reluctance. Martinez, a key figure since joining the club in 2020, now seems set for a high-profile summer move.
Martinez’s future has attracted interest from both Chelsea and United. The Blues have long struggled to find a reliable No.1, with recent options Robert Sanchez, Djordje Petrovic, and Filip Jorgensen all failing to convince. Petrovic’s loan move to Strasbourg appears to be turning permanent, while Jorgensen hasn’t impressed Enzo Maresca enough to claim the top spot.
Manchester United, on the other hand, are evaluating their situation with Andre Onana. Signed for nearly £50m to replace David de Gea, Onana has been plagued by inconsistency. His recent comments—“Will I leave? I don’t know, we’ll see!”—and links to Monaco and Saudi Arabia hint at a possible exit.
United reportedly believe Martinez would prefer a switch to Old Trafford, though manager Ruben Amorim may prioritize other areas of the squad, particularly with ongoing negotiations for Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo and the recent signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolves.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa are lining up Royal Antwerp’s 22-year-old Senne Lammens as a potential replacement for Martinez, though they face competition for the young Belgian from both Chelsea and United.
With both clubs in need of a dependable shot-stopper, the coming weeks could see a bidding war between two Premier League giants for one of the world’s top goalkeepers.Tools