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‘Negotiations underway’ - Galatasaray send shock first bid for £40m Aston Villa gem in blow to…

The latest on Emi Martinez’s future at Aston Villa as Galatasaray become the latest team to join the race.

Aston Villa may be about to hold an auction for one of their most-wanted stars as Galatasaray have reportedly joined a five-team transfer race.

The Villans know they must sell at least one important player this summer if they are to conform to the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) and there could soon be movement on that front with many clubs circling. Emiliano Martinez and Leon Bailey look to be the two most likely to be sacrificed by Villa this summer and the former has attracted a long list of interested teams.

Saudi Pro League sides, as well as Barcelona, Manchester United and Atletico Madrid, have all expressed an interest in signing Martinez this summer. Villa are understood to have slapped a £40 million price tag on the World Cup winner and are eager to sign a younger replacement for around half of that figure to help ease the PSR concerns.

Turkish journalist Sami Yen Haber reports Super Lig giants Galatasaray are the latest club to move for Martinez, with an official bid already made. It’s claimed negotiations are already well underway and the 32-year-old is keen on making the move. It awaits to be seen if Galatasaray would be willing to meet Villa’s asking price but wages won’t be an issue.

The Lions recently acquired the services of Leroy Sane from Bayern Munich and are paying the former Manchester City winger around £140,000 per week (£7.7 million per year), as well as around £2.5 million as a loyalty bonus. Paying Martinez similar will be pretty straightforward for the Turkish club, eager to carry on their dominance in the Super Lig on the back of three successive titles.

Twice a Yashin Trophy winner, Martinez has won 52 senior caps for Argentina and has undoubtedly been worth every penny of the £17 million spent to sign him from Arsenal back in 2020. The goalkeeper has played 212 times for Villa across all competitions, keeping 70 clean sheets and conceding 256 goals.

Will Emi Martinez definitely leave Aston Villa?

It’s not a certainty that Martinez departs Villa Park but it’s looking all the more likely, not helped by the failure to qualify for the Champions League. The final-day Premier League defeat away at Manchester United - a match embroiled in VAR controversy for a disallowed Morgan Rogers goal - was enough to stop Villa from finishing in the top five, costing the club up to £100 million in extra revenue for next season.

Had Villa qualified for the Champions League, they still would have had to make a sale but would have been under much less pressure this time next year. It’s a complex situation and one that Unai Emery and Monchi are working extremely hard to resolve. It’ll also be a great shame if Martinez’s last appearance was the defeat at Old Trafford, especially as he saw red.

If Martinez is to go, it’ll most likely be before the PSR deadline on June 30. If that date has passed and he’s still at the club, there isn’t such a rush to sell him. This saga could go on for a while longer yet.

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