Aston Villa 'ready to let Emiliano Martinez leave' as personal terms agreed
Aston Villa are planning to accept a new offer for Emiliano Martinez after it became clear he wants to leave the club this summer.
The 33-year-old has had his eyes set on a move away from Villa Park for well over a year now, and there is a growing feeling the time has now come for him to leave.
Unai Emery is reluctantly prepared to see him move on, with Juventus currently being eyed as the goalkeeper's most likely destination.
Former Aston Villa scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that the club have been resigned to the fact Martinez will leave, but hope to recieve a decent fee for him.
A move to Turin is believed to appeal to the Argentina international, with reports claiming he has already agreed personal terms, but they must now agree terms with Villa.
Martinez's contract at Villa Park is set to run until 2029, placing the club in a strong position to negotiate terms, but there is a plan in place to let him go.
How do Aston Villa feel about losing Emiliano Martinez?
Football Insider revealed in April that Aston Villa finally ready to sell Martinez and no longer see his long-term future between the sticks at Villa Park.
Inter Milan have been long-term admirers, while Juventus are now stepping up their interest, and a move to Italy is expected to be his most likely next step.
However, it will take a significant offer for Villa to sell as they are not willing to let him go on the cheap, and that price tag could delay his move.
"Emi Martinez is a top-class goalkeeper, everybody knows that," Brown told Football Insider.
"So for Aston Villa, it will be a blow to lose him, but I think the time has come now and they're ready to let him go if the right offer comes in.
"He's been looking to move on for a while, and sometimes it's better just to let it happen rather than have him angling for a move and disrupting things behind the scenes.
"The fee will have to be right for Villa, of course, they're not going to let him leave on the cheap because they'll want to make enough money to reinvest it into the squad.
"But a move to one of the Italian giants like Juventus, that's certainly something I can see both the player and the club being willing to make happen."
Who do Aston Villa want to replace Martinez?
Alongside the growing expectation that Martinez will leave Villa Park this summer, plans have been put in place to bring in a replacement.
There are a number of options on Emery's list of targets, and the rectruitment team have been working hard to find the ideal replacement for their long-term number one.
Football Insider revealed last month that Aston Villa are interested in signing James Trafford and could step up their interest after Martinez leaves.
The Man City shot-stopper is keen to leave the Etihad after just one year at the club, having fallen behind Gianluigi Donnarumma in the pecking order.