The noise from Turin is growing louder and it has a distinctly Argentine accent. Word reaching GoalZaza suggests that Emiliano Martinez, fresh from hi...
The noise from Turin is growing louder and it has a distinctly Argentine accent. Word reaching GoalZaza suggests that Emiliano Martinez, fresh from his World Cup heroics and the subsequent celebrations that have made him a national treasure, is ready to force the issue. The man who wrote his name into folklore with that penalty shootout save against France is reportedly pushing for a move, and Juventus are more than happy to let him do the running.Let's be clear about what this is. This is a goalkeeper operating at the absolute peak of his powers, holding all the cards. Martinez knows his value has never been higher. He knows that Unai Emery's project at Villa is serious, but he also knows that the chance to be the undisputed number one at a club of Juventus's historical stature, in a league where defensive solidity is practically a religion, is a different kind of allure. You don't win a Golden Glove at a World Cup and then quietly settle for mid table mediocrity, do youFor Juventus, this feels like a calculated gamble. They are banking on Martinez's ego, his ambition, and his willingness to unsettle the apple cart at Villa Park. The Old Lady needs a new general at the back, someone who organises a low block with the same authority as he commands his penalty area. Wojciech Szczesny has been a fine servant, but the chance to swap a solid Polish shot stopper for a world champion with a penchant for the theatrical is exactly the kind of upgrade the Bianconeri hierarchy craves. They see a man who can win them points in the Champions League, not just clean sheets in Serie A.The real question, and the one that will define this entire saga, is Aston Villa's nerve. They are not a selling club anymore, not under the current regime. Their owners have deep pockets and a long term vision. But every player has a price, and when a player wants out, the environment can turn toxic quicker than a February fog in the Midlands. Can Villa really hold a man who thinks he has outgrown the project Or will the lure of a substantial fee and a harmonious dressing room force their hand Martinez is a master of the mind game, and he is just getting started. Expect squeaky bum time in the West Midlands.
