Has Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez played his final game at Villa Park?
An emotional Emiliano Martinez appeared to be bidding his farewells to the Villa Park faithful following Aston Villa’s 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Friday night, the final home game of the season.
When much of the squad celebrated in a huddle in the centre circle after the full-time whistle, Martinez stood alone in his penalty area and began to weep. The 32-year-old initially tried to hide his emotions but failed as tears began to roll down his cheeks. Martinez cried for several minutes and had to use his shirt to wipe away the tears.
It’s one of those that’s up to interpretation, but, from the press box at least, it felt as if Martinez was saying goodbye after five superb seasons. He wasn’t the only one, either, as Leon Bailey was also visibly emotional after what was likely his last home game as a Villan.
Villa boss Unai Emery refused to rule out departures for the pair during his post-match press conference, instead shifting the focus to the next game away at Manchester United. “We will see about the team, the players, but of course, they are responding on the field at the moment,” Emery said.
“They are responding and are focused on how we are preparing and playing each match. Of course, Leon Bailey is playing less because I know everybody is responding very well. They are performing well. And we are going to play Manchester for the last three points. And for us it will be very important again, to prepare, to be focused everybody.
“And of course, then we will see about everything, how we are going to try to get better for the next season, coming back.”
Will Emi Martinez leave Aston Villa?
Martinez, twice named the world’s best goalkeeper as the two-time recipient of the Yashin Trophy, has recently been linked with a transfer away from Villa. The World Cup winner only signed a new four-year contract last summer but clubs in Saudi Arabia have come knocking, and as have top teams across Europe.
It may seem bonkers that Villa would even consider entertaining interest in their world-class shot-stopper, but it’s not quite as straightforward as that. The club are currently under pressure to make at least one significant sale to avoid breaching the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR), and there’s a logical move involving Martinez that could achieve that.
Villa could sign the much younger Joan Garcia - a target for Real Madrid, Arsenal and Manchester United - for just £20 million, probably a snip of what they could sell Martinez for. Throw the fact that Martinez has had a poor season into the mix, and then the plot thickens further.
It was only three months ago that Martinez was beginning to develop concerns over Villa’s woeful defensive form. Rather incredibly, the Villans went on a stretch of keeping just two clean sheets in 21 matches, with a run of 10 without any shut-outs during that time.
Those worries are long in the past as Villa’s defence has been revived in the past couple of months, with eight clean sheets in their last 14 matches. So, it’s not a case of Martinez leaving because he feels he can’t keep enough clean sheets in this team — it’s more that there are some tempting offers on the table.
Then, as mentioned previously, Villa need to address their PSR situation in one way or another. Unai Emery, who would rather sell fringe players to escape the jaws of PSR,
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