Just one day after Chelsea were first reported to be in talks over Emiliano Martínez, the Blues have now agreed a deal with Aston Villa for the goalkeeper.
According to Matt Law, Chelsea will pay just £7.5m for the 33-year-old, who is set to join on a permanent transfer.
Chelsea have agreed a £7.5million deal to sign Emi Martinez from Aston Villa. Martinez will move to Stamford Bridge on a permanent move #cfc#avfc
— Matt Law (@Matt_Law_DT) August 27, 2026That fee looks might look low for a two-time Yashin Trophy winner and one of the most decorated goalkeepers in the game, but Martínez had already made it clear that he wanted to leave Villa this summer. He had been training away from the first team, while Villa had already signed Zion Suzuki as his replacement.
Chelsea’s interest intensified following Robert Sánchez’s error-strewn performance against Fulham on Monday. Martínez should provide the immediate upgrade and experienced presence that Xabi Alonso evidently felt the position needed, while allowing Mike Penders to continue developing without being rushed into the starting role.
The Argentina international turns 34 next week, but this is presumably a short-term solution rather than another decade-long Chelsea project. At £7.5m, it’s difficult to find much fault with that approach, even if his wages are unlikely to be quite as modest.
Chelsea and Villa have been keeping each other busy this summer, with Morgan Rogers moving to Stamford Bridge and Nicolas Jackson heading in the opposite direction. Martínez now looks set to become the latest player exchanged between the two clubs.
Assuming everything goes smoothly with the medical, official confirmation should not be too far away.
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