Chelsea's Late Move for Emi Martinez Amid Sanchez Concerns
Chelsea are exploring a late move for Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez after the Argentina international was offered to the club by his representatives.
The approach comes with current No 1 Robert Sanchez under the microscope following his costly mistake in Monday’s win at Fulham, an error that reopened debate over Chelsea’s long-term plan in goal.
Martinez on the market after Villa reshuffle
Martinez is expected to move on after Villa signed Japan international Zion Suzuki from Parma in a deal worth close to £30m, a transfer that reshapes Unai Emery’s goalkeeping department and leaves the World Cup winner looking for a new home.
Juventus had shown interest earlier in the window but ultimately opted to sign Guglielmo Vicario from Spurs, leaving Martinez’s future unresolved as the final stretch of the market plays out.
Since arriving from Arsenal in 2020, Martinez has turned himself into one of the standout goalkeepers in the game. He has made 256 appearances for Villa, anchoring a side that has climbed from mid-table uncertainty to back-to-back Champions League qualifications under Emery.
He was in goal as Villa lifted the Europa League in May, the club’s first major European trophy in decades, and has been central to their surge onto the continental stage.
Serial winner with Argentina
Martinez’s CV with Argentina is even more glittering. He was a key figure in their 2022 World Cup triumph and part of the squad that finished runners-up at the 2026 tournament. On the continent, he has collected Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024, as well as the Finalissima in 2022.
Those performances, often defined by big saves in high‑pressure moments, have only reinforced his reputation as one of the most decisive goalkeepers in international football.
Merson: ‘One of the best in the world’ – but not a title fix
Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson believes Martinez would represent a clear upgrade in quality, even if he doesn’t see the move turning Chelsea into instant title contenders.
“Martinez is available and he can be hard work sometimes. He comes across like that. But he’s one of the best goalkeepers in the world,” Merson said.
“And if Chelsea want to get back to being one of the best in the world, you’ve got to have a top goalkeeper.”
Merson stressed he does not enjoy singling out goalkeepers, but he did not shy away from highlighting Sanchez’s errors, pointing to the Fulham game as another example of Chelsea inviting pressure.
“At 1-0 you were looking at it and thinking this is going to be three or four. But he lets in a cheap goal and all of a sudden the game has turned on its head really. It looked like Fulham were the team that were going to get the next goal.”
He contrasted Sanchez’s inconsistency with the stability Arsenal enjoy from David Raya.
“I’ve never known a team ever win anything without a top goalie. I’m sitting there now thinking when was the last time David Raya made a mistake? The Wolves game in February maybe? But once. In February.”
“Sanchez makes one mistake a week nearly. And a goal may not come from it, he might kick the ball out for a throw-in.”
Merson highlighted a specific pattern that worries him: “Against Fulham, Chelsea were dominating, he takes a great catch from a corner and he plays a terrible throw out to Cole Palmer. That happens week in, week out. And the ball could be intercepted, the ball goes back into the box and the opposition score out of nothing.”
Even so, Merson does not believe signing Martinez alone suddenly propels Chelsea into a title race.
“You look at Arsenal’s squad and if you change a player, it hardly weakens the team. Every position is solid. If you look at Chelsea, they’ve got a lot of players in each position, but it weakens the team.”
For him, the objective is clear.
“The name of the game for Chelsea is to make sure when this season finishes, they are playing Champions League football next season. It’s as simple as that. They came 10th last season. And you’ve got to learn to walk before you can run.”
Chelsea now stand at a familiar crossroads: stick with a goalkeeper who can thrill and alarm in equal measure, or gamble on a World Cup winner whose presence would change the entire feel of their penalty area.
