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Aston Villa news as keeper Emiliano Martinez linked with Inter Milan
Aston Villa should do everything they can to keep hold of Emiliano Martinez amid interest from Inter Milan in signing him this summer.
TyC Sports reported on 25 July that the Serie A giants have already made a bid in the region of £12.9million for the Argentinian international, but that has been knocked back by the Villans.
The Argentine broadcaster said talks have taken place between Inter and Martinez and the club are “optimistic about being able to reach a successful conclusion” to take him to the San Siro.
It comes as no real surprise to see top European clubs show an interest in the 30-year-old after he’s been excellent since making the move to Villa Park from Arsenal in 2020.
The keeper has kept 39 clean sheets in 112 games for Villa, including 13 shut-outs last season as he was instrumental in the club securing a seventh-place finish in the Premier League.
The Villans had the fifth-best defensive record in the league across the campaign having only conceded 46 goals, with the South American even in the 99th percentile for stopping crosses [FBRef].
His performances for Argentina at the World Cup last year, where he earned three clean sheets, would no doubt have caught the eye of a number of potential suitors. He played a major role in helping his side lift the trophy with a penalty shootout victory over France in the final.
But it would be a surprise if Martinez has already held talks with Inter, as he has always spoken so fondly of the club and he only penned a new deal up until 2027 last year.
The £12.9million fee that has been quoted in the report is actually quite insulting to Villa, with the keeper proving on a number of occasions that he’s worth far more than that. You could argue that he’s irreplaceable.
A move to the Italian side could potentially be of interest to him, as it would mean he gets a shot at playing Champions League football with a side that reached the final last season and arguably has more chance of winning silverware.
But that being said, Unai Emery’s side have certainly been on the up since the Spaniard joined the club and they have secured European football for next season.
The signings of Youri Tielemans, Pau Torres and Moussa Diaby are not only going to attract more quality players to move to Villa Park, but also ensure they keep some of their stars there.
If they do want to keep progressing, though, they should be pulling out all the stops to keep Martinez at the club.
In other Aston Villa news, a Villa winger sent a message on Instagram to his new teammate.