‘Monchi pulls rabbit out of the hat as Martinez replacement found at Aston Villa’
Emiliano Martinez looks set for the exit door at Aston Villa following five superb years of service in the Midlands.
Martinez recently changed agents after being taken on as an A-list client of super-agent Jorge Mendes and his renowned Gestifute agency.
The 32-year-old was seen in floods of tears after Aston Villa’s final home game of last season in an apparent farewell to the club’s fans.
He remains under contract until 2029 but is attracting interest in England, Spain and in the Saudi Pro League.
Aston Villa’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Villa Park between 2016 and 2018 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – has claimed Monchi has already been in touch with the Argentine’s replacement.
‘Martinez is on his way’, says Wyness
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness suggested Lille shot-stopper Lucas Chevalier will sign for his former club this summer.
The Frenchman is just 23 but was voted Ligue 1’s goalkeeper of the year for the 2024-25 campaign and has already played over 150 games of senior football.
Wyness warned sporting director Monchi can “only pull so many rabbits out of the hat” with Villa weighing up further sales after failing to qualify for the Champions League.
| Appearances | 52 |
| Minutes Played | 4590 |
| Goals Conceded | 61 |
| Clean Sheets | 15 |
| Yellow Cards | 5 |
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “Villa have the ace card of Monchi.
“Martinez is on his way, we don’t know what sort of fee they’ll get for him.
“I’m hearing they are now after the Lille goalkeeper, Chevalier. Monchi has already been in touch there, apparently.
“He and Damian Vidagany, his right-hand man, are going to have to do some magic tricks this summer.
“The pressure is getting more and more intense, and you can always only pull so many rabbits out of the hat.”
Aston Villa chasing relegated star
Meanwhile, Football Insider has revealed (23 May) that Aston Villa, West Ham and Leeds are eyeing moves for Southampton midfielder Matheus Fernandes.
Fernandes, 20, was one of the relegated club’s shining lights in a disappointing Premier League campaign.
Southampton face a losing fight to keep hold of Fernandes following relegation, with the club valuing him around £25million.
For more Aston Villa and exclusive news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.