Emiliano Martinez has got his wish over transfer - 'His Aston Villa career is over'
Emiliano Martinez's Aston Villa career is finally coming to an end after an agreement with Chelsea, sources have told Football Insider.
The 33-year-old has been angling for a move in the last couple of transfer windows, and looks set to get his wish, with a move to Stamford Bridge expected in the coming days.
Chelsea have reached an agreement worth £7.5million with Aston Villa, below their initial £10million asking price, with the goalkeeper having been key to the move.
As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider's Transfer Insider podcast, Chelsea were presented with a "big opportunity" to sign Martinez after being approached by his representatives.
The Argentina international has been linked with a host of clubs across Europe, notably including Juventus, but had struggled to reach an agreement to leave Villa.
Now, he is closing in on a move to Chelsea, having pushed for a fresh start elsewhere, while Aston Villa have already landed his replacement in Zion Suzuki.
Why are Chelsea signing Emiliano Martinez?
Football Insider revealed on 25 August that Chelsea were exploring a deal to sign Martinez as they accelerated their plans to land a new goalkeeper ahead of the transfer deadline.
Robert Sanchez made another glaring error during the Blues' 3-2 win against Fulham in their first game of the season, and set the wheels in motion for his replacement to arrive.
Aston Villa have been bracing to lose Martinez all summer after he made it clear he was not keen to stick around, and it is now just a matter of time until his exit is confirmed.
Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, I explained: "Yeah, there's a big opportunity, I think, now for Chelsea to bring in Emi Martinez. He has been offered to the club by his representatives.
"They have been seeking a landing spot for the Argentina international because he's now lost his spot in this Aston Villa side. His Aston Villa career is over in that respect.
"If Chelsea are looking to strengthen in the goalkeeping department, a lot of people have been tipping them to do, Martinez could be a very good pick-up for them at that fee.
"Obviously he's on big wages as well, but he could be a key difference-maker for Chelsea in their pursuit of success this season.
"Martinez will be interested in the move away as well because he's not going to want to stick around and be number two to Suzuki at Villa, and he's been angling for a move for a while.
"So I think that there's a willingness from Chelsea to move for Martinez, and I'm sure it's a deal that the player and Villa are also hoping will go through."
Could the Aston Villa exodus be set to continue?
Martinez is set to become the latest in a long line of big-name players to leave Aston Villa this summer, leading to growing concerns about the state of their squad.
The goalkeeper will follow the likes of Morgan Rogers, Ezri Konsa, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne out of the door, and the mass exodus of star players is not likely to stop there.
Former Aston Villa scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Unai Emery's side are now looking to shift Ollie Watkins, with a move to the Saudi Pro League on the cards.
Interest from Al Hilal is believed to have turned the striker's head, after he was left out of the heavy 4-0 defeat to Brighton on the opening day of the season.
Emery is believed to have been left frustrated by the number of major departues, and with Martinez closing in on a move, the concerns are now growing.