Aston Villa are reportedly bracing for Emiliano Martinez’s exit before the transfer window shuts, with Tottenham Hotspur emerging as a possible landing spot for the seasoned goalkeeper.
Former Villa CEO Keith Wyness thinks the saga could drag right up to deadline day, but he’s still confident the Argentine will end up leaving Villa Park before it closes. The 33-year-old has been tied to several clubs this summer, with a move to Juventus recently collapsing at the last hurdle, reportedly over concerns about a finger injury.
That opens the door for another suitor, and Tottenham are said to be keeping a close eye on the situation as they weigh up a late move to bolster their goalkeeping options for the new season.
Villa readying for life without Martinez
Villa appear to have already planned ahead, having brought in young goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, giving them room to maneuver on Martinez’s future. Wyness believes signing Suzuki first, rather than selling Martinez and scrambling for a replacement, was the smarter approach — arguing that doing it the other way round could have left Villa negotiating from a position of weakness and paying over the odds for Suzuki.
“I do expect them to come to a deal and a price for him to go, and I expect that to be done in the next couple of weeks. It could well be a last-day signing, but I do expect him to go,” Wyness said. He added that Martinez, in his view, wouldn’t accept being a backup and still has plenty left to give elsewhere. “It’s been this dance before with Martinez about him going or not going. I think Villa have done it the right way round in terms of getting the young number one in and getting him signed first,” he said. “If they got rid of Martinez first, they might have been squeezed a bit further on the fee for Suzuki, so I think they’ve done that right.”
Spurs weighing a late swoop
With his move to Juventus off the table, Tottenham are said to be exploring Martinez as a potential late addition. Spurs had been lining up Antonin Kinsky for a bigger role between the posts, but Martinez’s sudden availability appears to have shifted their thinking, and the club are reportedly considering whether to make a serious push for the World Cup-winning shot-stopper.
Interestingly, Tottenham have already benefited once from the collapsed Juventus deal — the Italian side have reportedly since agreed a move for Spurs’ own goalkeeper, Guglielmo Vicario, adding another layer of business between the two clubs. Now Spurs could turn their focus to bringing Martinez in as they continue reshaping their squad.
A dramatic late departure on the cards?
Martinez has been a standout figure at Villa since his arrival, establishing himself as one of the Premier League’s most recognizable goalkeepers and Argentina’s undisputed number one on the international stage. Even so, his long-term future at the club has grown increasingly shaky, and Villa now look ready to let him go for the right price.
With the deadline closing in, his next move could end up being one of the window’s defining late storylines — a fresh Premier League opportunity for Martinez, and a chance for Villa to move forward with their new goalkeeping setup. For now, he remains a Villa player, but with Spurs circling and Villa expecting an exit, his future looks set to be settled in dramatic fashion before the window shuts.
