View: Unai Emery frosty relationship with Emi Martinez could instigate summer exit from Aston Villa
Although Emi Martinez has pledged his colours to Aston Villa over the last few weeks, recent murmurs of discontent from Unai Emery could instigate a summer transfer away from the club.
The Villa goalkeeper recently revealed his love for the club and his ambitions to win trophies at Villa Park in the future after taking on the role of captain since the World Cup.
However, he recently came under scrutiny from Emery following his late antics in the 4-2 loss to Arsenal. After being booked earlier in the game for wasting time, Martinez decided to go up for a corner in the dying embers of stoppage time – a move that resulted in an unopposed breakaway goal for Gabriel Martinelli.
Once the full-time whistle had blown, Villa’s manager revealed his anger at Martinez’s rash decision-making, stating, “I told him I didn’t like it” in a heated post-match interview. [Daily Mail]
Just a couple of days after the dust had settled on Vila’s disappointing defeat to the league leaders, The Daily Mail (21 February) reported that Villa were expecting bids for Martinez in the summer and would be willing to accept any offers that meet their valuation of the World Cup winner.
The news will come as a huge surprise to many Villa fans due to Martinez’s love for the club, but money talks and the lure of Champions League football may prove too much for Villa No.1.
The Argentine shot-stopper is arguably Aston Villa’s one world-class player, but Emery may well be looking to build his war chest for the summer transfer window with the sale of Martinez.
Such a move would likely get a mixed reception from the Villa fanbase, and losing the keeper will bring back memories of the sales of the likes of Jack Grealish, Christian Benteke and even Ashley Young to top-four opposition.
The frosty exchange between Emery and Martinez last week doesn’t seem to have done any damage on the face of things, but it may well have opened up a crack in their relationship that can’t be papered over.
In other Aston Villa news, the club want to reunite with a former player for a fee in excess of £40million in the summer.