Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez being lined up by Atletico Madrid as Jan Oblak replacement – report
Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez has emerged as a target for Atletico Madrid, who are anxiously waiting to see if their current No.1 Jan Oblak renews his contract, according to the Daily Mirror.
Oblak is out of contract with the Spanish giants this summer and will undoubtedly be attracting attention from all over Europe; he’s considered one of the world’s best goalkeepers.
Any move for the Villa keeper may be sped up by the fact Atletico won’t want to lose Oblak on a free in the summer, instead of opening themselves to offers in January.
Villa, however, won’t want to lose one of their prized assets, especially after their hit-and-miss early-season form and current goalkeeping injuries.
Nevertheless, the allure of Champions League football and the chance to play for his fellow compatriot Diego Simeone may prove to be an opportunity Martinez can’t say no to.
Martinez has confirmed his status as one of the Premier League’s top goalkeepers since making the move to Villa Park from Arsenal in 2020.
Fight.
Aston Villa should do everything they possibly can in their power to fight off interest from Atletico Madrid should they come knocking for Martinez’s signature.
The shot-stopper is an integral part of Steven Gerrard’s squad and it would be a shame to lose such a talented and valued member of the team.
And with few other goalkeeping talents on the market, the thought of bringing in a second-class replacement is worrying, to say the least.
There’s more than enough time for Villa to have a successful season and hopefully, the prospect of this can keep Martinez put.
He’s loved by the fans at the Midlands outfit and can look back on his time at Arsenal as to why he should avoid moving to a “bigger” club.
Unfortunately, there will be fuel to the fire with this one, but Villans will just have to hope Atletico move for a different option or Martinez chooses to stay.
In other Aston Villa news, there is pressure on this Villan to step up and be counted for after problematic injury news emerged on Thursday.