Emi Martinez ‘confirms Aston Villa exit’ as huge transfer reveal emerges on Sunday
Aston Villa suffered a disastrous defeat to Manchester United on the final day of the season, and the aftermath could be very unpleasant.
Villa were beaten 2-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday, with Amad Diallo and Christian Eriksen scoring, while they also had to play with 10 men for most of the game.
Emi Martinez was sent off in the first half after he raced out of his box to crash into Rasmus Hojlund in a nightmare moment.
Martinez has been linked with a move away, and this could have been his final game for Aston Villa, with a new development over his future.
Martinez has said goodbye to Aston Villa teammates
Martinez has been linked with clubs in Saudi Arabia, and could now leave as Villa aim to resolve their financial fair play issues, especially after missing out on Champions League football.
Speaking ahead of the defeat at Old Trafford, journalist Dan Bardell revealed that Martinez is expected to leave, and has even told people that he will not be at Villa next season.
“My understanding is as it stands, he [Emi Martinez] is going. He’s told people that he’s going,” he said live on talkSPORT (25 May, 15:23).
| Stat | Emi Martinez |
| Appearances | 211 |
| Clean sheets | 69 |
However, when asked if Martinez could head to Saudi Arabia, Bardell was convinced that he was destined to go elsewhere.
“I don’t think so. I don’t think that suits him at all. Emi Martinez may not want to uproot his family to go to Saudi Arabia.”
Aston Villa could benefit from Martinez sale
Martinez has been a great servant for Villa over the years, but he has had an inconsistent season, with several high-profile errors.
His latest error at Manchester United was a costly one, as they have now missed out on Champions League football for next season.
That red card, joined with the disgrace to disallow a Morgan Rogers goal, summed it all up for Villa.
Aston Villa may need to make a big sale to resolve their financial issues, and selling the ageing goalkeeper for a significant fee could benefit them in the long run.
Selling the 32-year-old for a profit and replacing him with a younger option makes total sense, and it now appears that he is ready to depart after five years at Villa Park.