Tottenham told to complete 'big-money signing' after goalkeeper agrees terms
Tottenham Hotspur should have pulled out all the stops to sign outgoing Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to replace Antonin Kinsky.
That is the opinion of former senior Tottenham scout, Bryan King, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.
The Lilywhites have been keeping tabs on the former Arsenal shot-stopper, but Chelsea have now reportedly agreed a £7.5million deal to sign him.
Martinez will sign a two year contract with the option of an additional 12 months with the Blues, ending an almost six-year stay at Villa.
The Argentina international has been keen to leave Villa Park for some time now, and appears to now have been granted his wish.
Kinsky made a mistake in Tottenham's opening 3-0 loss to Brentford last week, but appears to be Roberto De Zerbi's first-choice goalkeeper for the season.
Antonin Kinsky 'won't get you a Champions League place'
In March, it would not have been a controversial statement to say that Kinsky's Tottenham career was likely over.
The young Czech suffered a horror 15 minutes against Atletico Madrid, making two massive mistakes before he was dragged off in the first half.
An exit looked inevitable, but De Zerbi's arrival saw him turn it around and make several key saves as Tottenham avoided relegation.
Following Guglielmo Vicario's move to Juventus, Kinsky is now the number one. Not everybody is convinced, however.
"It looks as though the Aston Villa goalkeeper is available. And if he'd become available, I would think Tottenham and Chelsea would be looking at the possibility of maybe going and getting him," King told Football Insider before the move was agreed.
"I would have certainly enquired about him, because what Tottenham and Chelsea need now is a steadying figure at the back. You don't want goalkeepers who are going to give goals away."
When asked about Kinsky, King added: "He's not going to win you a Championship, him. He's not going to get you a Champions League place from me. You'll be lucky if you get 38 or 40 games out of him.
"I tell you, I wouldn't have thought he'd have been very happy in conceding a goal against Charlton when you're 5-0 up. They need a big money signing, that's for sure. Instead of a big money signing, they need a name."
What Roberto De Zerbi has said about Kinsky
Despite Kinsky's error against Brentford, he has maintained the support of his manager publicly.
In May, De Zerbi said: "The biggest quality of Tony is the personality. Great personality after Madrid showed for his age an incredible character and we are happy he plays with us.
"He’s improving a lot. He’s a good goalkeeper. I had no doubt in my first days in Tottenham because I knew him before coming here.
"He played in Madrid, he made that mistake, and it was tough for him. He has great personality, strong character and he deserves to play a game like today."