The rumour mill has churned out a rather intriguing morsel this week, courtesy of GoalZaza's man on the inside. Aston Villa, it appears, are willing t...
The rumour mill has churned out a rather intriguing morsel this week, courtesy of GoalZaza's man on the inside. Aston Villa, it appears, are willing to part with their World Cup winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. That is not the sort of information you expect to hear about a player who has been the bedrock of Unai Emery's project at Villa Park. Yet here we are, with the reliable reports from Turin suggesting the Old Lady is circling.So what has changed Martinez, for all his theatrical brilliance and penalty saving heroics, has a shelf life at a club that is aiming for the Champions League places but still operates within the constraints of Financial Fair Play. Villa are not a selling club in the old guise, but every player has a price. And when a side like Juventus comes calling, with their gravitational pull and a desperate need for a commanding presence between the sticks, the conversation becomes serious.Let us not mince words here. Juventus have been a mess in the goalkeeping department since the twilight of Gianluigi Buffon's first spell. Wojciech Szczesny has been reliable but never truly world class. The Polish international has the odd howler in him, and for a club that prides itself on defensive solidity, that is simply not good enough. Enter Martinez, a man who thrives on the big occasion, who has that swaggering arrogance that turns a goalkeeper into a match winner. He would not just be an upgrade; he would be a statement of intent.The tactical fit is fascinating. Juventus, under Massimiliano Allegri's second coming, often play a relatively deep defensive block. They sit in, absorb pressure, and rely on a goalkeeper who can command his box and pull off a reflex save from a crowded penalty area. That is Martinez's bread and butter. He is not a sweeper keeper in the Ederson mould, but he is a brilliant shot stopper and a master of the dark arts. In the tight, nervy encounters of Serie A, that kind of personality is gold dust.Of course, this will not be a straight forward deal. Aston Villa will want a significant fee, and Martinez himself will demand a wage packet that reflects his status. But if the club is truly open to a sale, then you can bet your bottom dollar that Juventus will be pushing hard. For the neutral, this is transfer window theatre at its finest. For the Villa fan, it might feel like a kick in the teeth. But in the cold light of a Monday morning, this is the kind of deal that makes the big clubs stronger and the ambitious clubs richer. Keep your eyes on this one.
