Chelsea have the opportunity to bring in some more new faces over the next couple of months
Chelsea are back in the Champions League and have a significant couple of months ahead of them on the recruitment front. They have already delved into the market to land highly-rated striker Liam Delap from Ipswich Town. The London club have the chance to bring in some more new faces over the next couple of months.
Enzo Maresca was picked as their head coach around 12 months ago. Prior to his switch to Stamford Bridge, he won the Championship title with Leicester City. The former Manchester City coach has made a positive impression so far and won the Europa Conference League in his first season as well.
Chelsea target Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez
Chelsea tend to go for young players in their transfer policy over recent years. However, The Mirror claim they are admirers of Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez. At the age of 32, the Argentina international would provide an older option between the sticks if he joined.
Martinez, who won the World Cup back in 2022 in Qatar, has been on the books at Villa Park since 2020. He has since been their number one and has made 212 appearances in all competitions, 53 of which came in the last campaign. His long-term future in the Midlands is up in the air and he has been linked with an exit.
It is worth noting that Villa are under no pressure to sell after recent, controversial PSR manoeuvres similar to those made by the Blues. That means that they can hold out for the right price in this window. They won’t want to lose the stopper on the cheap which means suitors will need to fork out cash.
Martinez may fancy a switch to Chelsea to offer him Champions League football. Unai Emery’s side missed out last term after failing to finish in the top five and they might affect their chances of keeping their main assets. The player has also lived in London before and could opt to return to the capital.
He played for Arsenal for a decade from 2010 to 2020 and played 38 games altogether. The ‘keeper was also shipped out on loan by the Gunners to Oxford United, Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham United, Wolves, Getafe and Reading to get some experience under his belt. If the Blues snapped him up, he would be a safe pair of hands to call upon.
Chelsea and Aston Villa swap deal involving Nicolas Jackson?
If the Blues are serious about getting Martinez, they could offer them Jackson as part of a swap deal arrangement. That would mean both teams are getting something in return. It would suit both parties involved and ensure that neither are left worse off.
It has been a strange spell for Jackson so far with the Blues. He rocked up in England back in 2023 and he has since scored 30 goals in 80 games. There are question marks over whether he is the man to lead the line in the long run though and he hasn’t been that consistent overall.
Offloading him would help free up space and funds to pave the way for reinforcements. A change of scene to Aston Villa may help boost his career and aid him to fully show what he is capable of at the top level. Emery may feel he is able to get the best out of him in an environment where he is guaranteed regular action.
The Senegal international, who has 20 caps to his name, played for Villarreal from 2019 to 2023 so knows Emery well already. He linked up with the La Liga side as a youngster before progressing up through their ranks and into the first-team. The Gambia-born man went on to find the net on 13 occasions during 48 outings before landing his big transfer two years ago.
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