Aston Villa could be braced for interest from Liverpool in one of their key figures as the summer transfer window approaches.
Aston Villa make Forest statement as Emery reaches another Europa League final
What a night at Villa Park.
Trailing 1-0 from the first leg and without Amadou Onana, Villa produced one of the finest performances of their European campaign to reach their first European final in 44 years.
Aston Villa celebrate
They dismantled Nottingham Forest 4-0, with Emiliano Buendia and John McGinn starring in a second-leg masterclass that leaves Unai Emery's side heading to Istanbul to face Freiburg.
It was Ollie Watkins who broke the deadlock in the 36th minute, latching on to a sublime Buendia assist to level the tie on aggregate, before the Argentine doubled their lead from the penalty spot on the hour after Nikola Milenkovic's foul on Pau Torres.
Captain McGinn then sealed one of Villa Park's great European nights with two goals in three minutes — a brace that sent the claret and blue faithful into raptures and ended Forest's unlikely continental adventure.
Buendia became the first player to both score and assist in a Europa League semi-final for an English club since Bruno Fernandes and Edinson Cavani did so for Man United against Roma in April 2021 — a statistic that tells you everything about how special his performance was.
hidemasa-morita-sporting Related
Leeds now in pole position to sign Aston Villa target with advanced talks held
The Whites are closing in on an "underrated" player.
Emery, who has made European knockout football look routine during his time in Birmingham, now has a final to prepare for — and a Premier League run-in to manage simultaneously.
Villa still occupy a top-five place in the league with the season drawing to a close, and the possibility of both domestic and European success in the same month is very real.
Yet, even as the celebrations continue, the summer is beginning to take shape, and not all of the news from Villa's perspective is straightforward.
Liverpool eyeing Emiliano Martinez to replace exit-bound Alisson
According to Italian outlet Tuttojuve, Liverpool are planning a significant overhaul of their goalkeeping department this summer, and Emiliano Martínez is among the names under consideration as they search for a new number one.
Aston Villa's Emi Martinez
The Argentine World Cup winner has been at the heart of Villa's rise under Emery and is widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League, combining exceptional shot-stopping with the kind of commanding presence and leadership that defines elite clubs.
The Tuttojuve report outlines that Liverpool are growing uncertain over Giorgi Mamardashvili, who joined from Valencia last summer but has not fully convinced the Anfield hierarchy.
Lucas Chevalier of PSG — who joined from Lille for around £34 million but has barely played under Luis Enrique — is identified as Liverpool's preferred option, though the report lists Martinez as one of five goalkeepers being assessed as potential solutions.
Alisson, meanwhile, appears 'close' to leaving Anfield, with Juventus said to be nearing a deal worth around £8.5m for the Brazilian whose contract expires in 2027 — adding further urgency to Liverpool's need to identify a long-term replacement.
alisson-becker-liverpool
Whether Liverpool make a formal approach for Martinez, who has been described by Tutto as a 'leader' of the team, remains to be seen.
His contract with Villa runs until June 2027, and the club have every reason — particularly with a European final ahead and Champions League football potentially on the horizon — to resist any approach.
But with Alisson's era at Anfield drawing to a close and Liverpool in the market for a statement signing between the posts, Martinez's name will not disappear from their thinking quickly.
aston-villa-arsenal-premier-league Related
Aston Villa battling Fulham and West Ham to re-sign former player with favourite named
The Villans want to strike yet another reunion.