Amongst the many rumours doing the rounds this week, Arsenal goalkeeper Emi Martinez continues to be a hot favourite to become Aston Villa’s third senior capture of the summer.
Manager Mikel Arteta has remained adamant that he didn’t want the 28-year-old to leave, but late yesterday evening the reports stepped up a gear and there were suggestions that he was now resigned to losing the stopper and moreover, that he had already provisionally agreed personal terms with us owing to his refusal of a new deal at the Emirates Stadium.
The latter claim is obviously in doubt, and others simply state that advanced talks continue with the player, but with an expectation that agreement would be struck very early next week.
As for Arsenal’s end of the business, £20million is the favoured fee in reports today, but it’s also been suggested that Arsenal won’t sign off on the deal until they have a replacement in place.
Would You Take Martinez @ £15-20million?
Definitely
Not At That Price
Great signing but I'm still confused the most important signing should be wingers, ie benrahma etc. Without wingers scoring is much harder isn't it hahaha
— Danjk78 (@danjk78) September 11, 2020
Steal.
He’s better than their number 1, Leno.— M̶a̶n̶ God Like John Percy. 😍 (@RHAVFC) September 10, 2020
Fantastic, exciting to get a good keeper still in his prime, Villa not had good keeper since Brad Guzan
— Warren Such (@such_warren) September 10, 2020
Brilliant signing! Arsenal fans already saying what a great keeper he is… greedy I know but King from Bournemouth next please 👍🏻
— Villa Forever 🏴🇬🇧 (@VillaForeve11) September 10, 2020
Absolutely, worth every penny
— MattyAVFC (@MattyAVFC2) September 10, 2020
An absolute steal!!!!!!
— Pedigree Gooner (@griffithgarn) September 10, 2020
Absolute quality keeper some signing if we get this 1 done
— davidsmith (@DavidsmithMrbre) September 10, 2020
Emi and Heaton will be great competition for each other when both are healthy. 20m for a genuinely top tier keeper is a drop in the ocean. Still have 50m of our transfer budget to finish out the window
— Cort Carpenter (@TheCortHaus) September 11, 2020
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I probably wouldn’t have wanted to pay that much for a keeper with Heaton already there but he does look a top prospect and secures us a no. 1 into the foreseeable. Key now is Rashica or Benrhama and I would also love Gallagher/Swift and Henry.
Also need to get some out – Kalanic, Nyland, Elmo, Taylor, Lansbury, Hogan, Samatta and El Ghazi. I would also get Nakamba out if we could replace him with Billings.
Fees for these above should mean that we could also get King or Brewster and Eliason and still be within the 100m net spend?