Emi Martinez appears to have bid farewell to Villa Park as Barcelona and Manchester United show strong interest in him
- Anweshan Ghosh
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Argentina’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is expected to leave Aston Villa at the end of this season, with reports indicating that the star stopper wants to proceed to a new chapter in his footballing career.
Dibu Martinez has a contract with Aston Villa that runs until 2029 but has reportedly made up his mind to leave the Birmingham-based club this summer, as he was seen giving an emotional applause to the fans at Villa Park on Saturday.
The 32-year-old was teary-eyed and was seen applauding the fans after what was Villa's final home game of the season, hinting at a potential final goodbye to the fans at Villa Park.
If the reports of his departure are true, then Martinez will be playing his final game for Aston Villa against Manchester United at Old Trafford next week.
Barcelona and Man United eyeing a possible move for Martinez in the summer
As per reports from ESPN, FC Barcelona and Manchester United are strongly interested in the World Cup winner and are set to go head-to-head for securing his move in the upcoming transfer window.
Barça are keen on signing a goalkeeper as Marc-André ter Stegen has not fully recovered from his injury and has been out of form for quite a long time now, which has persuaded the La Liga winners into offering Wojciech Szczesny another short-term contract.
With Iñaki Peña also set to leave the club, it is fair to say that the Catalan giants are desperately in need of a stable goalkeeping option, and therefore, signing an experienced, world-class goalkeeper like Emiliano Martinez has reportedly become a priority for them.
On the other hand, Manchester United and Ruben Amorim are reported to have grown frustrated with Andre Onana’s performances, who has constantly struggled in between the posts for the Red Devils since his arrival back in 2023.
As a result, United are keen on bringing in a consistent goalkeeper like Martinez , who also has the experience of playing in the Premier League, in order to rectify their mistake of letting David De Gea go back in 2023.
Martinez will undoubtedly leave as one of Aston Villa’s biggest icons
From fighting in relegation battles to World Cup glory and reaching the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, Emiliano Martinez has experienced all the highs and lows in an extraordinary journey with Aston Villa.
Should Martinez depart Villa in the summer, he will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the club's greatest icons.
Martinez’s journey will come to an end after five years since he joined Villa after a move from Arsenal and managed to establish himself as one of the great shot-stoppers in the league in his debut season itself.
Since his debut back in 2020, the Argentine has revamped his football career, starting from scratch. He cemented himself as a true “patron” on the pitch and a huge reason for the club's recent success.
In just 211 appearances, Martinez has secured 69 clean sheets for Aston Villa, being a true leader for his side on and off the pitch during Villa’s incredible journey to the top.
His incredible performances for Villa made him the first-choice goalkeeper for the Argentina National Team as well, giving him the golden opportunity to lead his country to a historic World Cup win in 2022.
As a result of his heroics for Argentina, Martinez has also enjoyed the success of winning the FIFA Golden Glove Award and the historic Lev Yashin trophy, the top 2 goalkeeping awards in the world.
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