It is less than nine months since Emiliano Martinez sat before a few hundred Aston Villa fans in the club’s new superstore and announced he had committed himself to the club for five more years.
‘I became the best in the world here,’ he said. ‘I feel the same love here as I feel for the national team, so why change?’
The contract made Martinez one of Villa’s top earners and at that moment, it felt reasonable to assume he would spend the rest of his career at Villa Park. Yet with Premier League spending rules a constant noise in the background, it now seems possible this season could be Martinez’s last in the West Midlands.
Nothing is guaranteed, of course. Villa would demand a significant fee for Martinez and there are only a handful of clubs he would consider joining.
It would be a complicated deal and the rapport between player and club remains strong, so Martinez could easily still be at Villa Park when the summer window closes. Even so, the door appears to be ajar, which represents quite a shift in position on both sides.
First, the finances. Villa need to recoup funds before June 30 – the end of the accounting year – to ensure they comply with profitability and sustainability regulations. The most efficient way to do so is to sell players, as they did a year ago when Douglas Luiz moved to Juventus for £42million.
Emiliano Martinez could leave Aston Villa this summer despite signing a new deal last August
There are only a handful of clubs the Argentinian goalkeeper (centre) would consider joining
Villa complied with PSR rules last year when Douglas Luiz moved to Juventus for £42million
Martinez joined Villa for about £20m from Arsenal in September 2020. For accounting purposes, that figure depreciates the longer a player stays at a club. Martinez will now have a relatively low ‘book value’ meaning Villa have the chance to generate a significant profit.
Though he remains one of Villa’s most influential players, Martinez’s form this season has declined a little. He was beaten twice from outside the penalty area in Villa’s 3-0 defeat by Crystal Palace in the FA Cup semi-final and Villa have conceded from their opponents’ first shot on target on 22 occasions this season.
He is operating closer to his goal-line this term than last, making it more difficult for Villa to press their opponents higher up the pitch, and statistics suggest he makes fewer key saves than he was making a year ago.
Boss Unai Emery and key allies Monchi and Damian Vidagany would like to reduce the average age of the squad and Martinez turns 33 in September. The Villa powerbrokers are believed to admire Joan Garcia, a 24-year-old keeper for La Liga club Espanyol.
Mail Sport reported on Wednesday that Martinez is believed to have held discussions with Gestifute, the agency run by Jorge Mendes and one of the most powerful in the world.
Mendes’ network of contacts is unrivalled across the game and the Portuguese has direct links to the key boardrooms across Europe, as well as to the Saudi Pro League. Few agents have Mendes’ ability to broker deals between top clubs.
While there is no suggestion that Martinez is actively seeking a move, he has now had a taste of Champions League football after helping Villa reach the quarter-finals. Once players taste Europe’s premier club competition, they often want more. Having helped Argentina win the World Cup in 2022, nothing motivates Martinez like the white heat of the greatest tournaments.
While Villa can still qualify next season’s Champions League, they are likely to need maximum points from their last three games to finish in the Premier League’s top five, and even that might not be enough.
Villa manager Unai Emery and key allies would like to reduce the average age of the squad
The Villa powerbrokers are believed to admire Joan Garcia as Martinez’s replacement
Monchi and Emery have both said that Villa must not be afraid to sell and they allowed young forward Jhon Duran to move to Al-Nassr last January for close to £70m.
Regardless of whether Villa finish in the top five, it will be another busy summer of trading. Do not surprised if Martinez, serenaded as ‘the world’s number one’ at Villa Park, is a central figure in that process.