The 32-year-old continues to be linked with a move away from Villa this summer, with rumours seemingly going into overdrive following his emotional reaction at full-time in our final home game of last season.
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While many interpreted that as a clear indication that the Argentine shot-stopper was aware that he may well have made his last appearance as a Villa player at Villa Park, he continues to be paired with a move elsewhere, albeit no such transfer has materialised as of yet.
According to [The Telegraph](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2025/06/21/atletico-madrid-race-aston-villa-emi-martinez/) though, Atletico Madrid are prepared to make their move for Martinez should Jan Oblak move on this summer, and so it appears as though we’re still waiting for the dominos to fall, which in turn would then make a Martinez departure a more realistic prospect in the coming weeks.
It’s added that Martinez is also wanted by Saudi Pro League teams, but that doesn’t seem like a smart fit for him at this stage of his career, and so it remains to be seen if Atleti’s touted monitoring of his situation turns into something more tangible.
Having joined us from Arsenal in 2020, it’s been a memorable stint thus far for the Argentine international, as he’s played a fundamental role in our progression to this point with his ability to be a consistently decisive presence in between the posts.
Admittedly, his form did dip last season as he made some uncharacteristic errors which proved to be costly, but with his shot-stopping abilities, experience, leadership, organisation of our backline and being able to develop a winning culture, he remains a pivotal presence in Unai Emery’s squad.
Time will tell though for how long that will remain the case, as if there is movement with Oblak, Atleti could come knocking, and that could be a project that Martinez is more inclined to be interested in joining.
It also remains to be seen how big a factor Villa’s touted financial concerns play a part in this scenario too, as it’s believed that the club remain in need of a funds boost to comply with PSR ahead of the June 30 deadline.
While other options that don’t involve a player sale could be under consideration, it hasn’t done much to quieten the talk over Martinez’s future it seems, and his exit will certainly secure a significant fee, albeit a large part of that will have to go on signing his replacement, if he were to leave.
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