Emiliano Martinez sends message to England Lionesses star who's blown him away
Aston Villa are braced for increased interest in Emiliano Martinez as one of their former goalkeepers becomes a history-maker with England.
Martinez has long since been listed as one of several big-name players Villa could sell to balance the books this summer, with sanctions from UEFA and PSR concerns from the Premier League to deal with.
The Aston Villa goalkeeper has already rejected a big-money move to Saudi Arabia this summer and is expected to remain in the Premier League, but it remains to be seen if that will still be in claret and blue.
Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson has told Football Insider that Manchester United are "100 per cent committed" to signing Martinez this summer, but he looks set to stay at Villa Park as things stand.
Martinez congratulates Hampton as England make history
Aston Villa have seen Martinez become one of the world's premier goalkeepers since his arrival in 2020, and that's been underlined by his success in back-to-back international tournaments with Argentina.
England Women are in a similar vein of form to Argentina's men after they retained their European Championship title on Sunday, with former Villa keeper Hannah Hampton winning 'Player of the Match'.
Current Chelsea number one Hampton saved two penalties as England beat Spain 3-1 in the shoot-out after a 1-1 draw in normal time, and Martinez was quick to praise the 24-year-old's performances.
Martinez shared an image of the pair in Villa colours on his Instagram story (28 July), and said "congrats" to Hampton alongside two 'glove' emojis.
Martinez a must-keep as Aston Villa brace for big-money offers
Football Insider Verdict
Aston Villa are under pressure to complete at least one big-name sale this summer after a £9.5million fine from UEFA and the threat of Premier League sanctions, but Martinez is a player they have to keep.
The 32-year-old's standing in the game is beyond question and would be almost impossible to replace, as well as the fact that a homegrown player like Jacob Ramsey would secure a 100 per cent PSR profit.
Villa value Ramsey and Morgan Rogers at £50m and £100m respectively, and with Unai Emery desperate to keep as many key players as he can, selling Martinez for less than these amounts would make very little sense.