Arsenal are reportedly contemplating a stunning move to bring Emiliano Martinez back to The Emirates - five years after he was unceremoniously let go by Mikel Arteta.
Since joining Aston Villa, the 32-year-old has established himself as one of the Premier League's top goalkeepers. However, rumours are swirling that the World Cup-winning Argentina star is looking for a new challenge at the end of the season, following an emotional display after Villa's final home game last week.
Before his successful stint at Villa Park, Martinez spent eight years with Arsenal, who loaned him out multiple times before he enjoyed a brief period of favour prior to his exit. The Sun now reports that not only are Arsenal interested in bringing Martinez back, but the experienced goalkeeper would welcome the opportunity to finally become the Gunners' first-choice keeper.
This surprising news comes amidst the club's worries about losing David Raya after another impressive season from the Spaniard. Real Madrid have reportedly identified Raya, 29, as the long-term replacement for Thibaut Courtois, reports the Mirror.
There is also interest in the former Brentford keeper from Atletico Madrid, who are concerned they could lose their first-choice keeper, Jan Oblek, to Saudi Arabia.
Since joining Arsenal on an initial loan in 2023, a move that sparked controversy, Raya has continued to impress. His development has been so remarkable that Jamie Carragher recently hailed Arteta's decision to bring in Raya at the expense of Aaron Ramsdale as one of the Spaniard's shrewdest calls.
He said on The Overlap: "I picked Alisson as the best goalkeeper in the Premier League this season but I was very close to picking David Raya.
"Alisson had that performance against PSG and that was one of the best we've seen from a goalkeeper so maybe that stuck in my head. But Raya probably had five or six world-class saves this season. There was one against Aston Villa and Ollie Watkins but it was that long ago that it feels like last season.
"That was one of the best decisions Mikel Arteta made, it was brave because Aaron Ramsdale was a bit of a fans' favourite but Arsenal were never going to win anything big with him in goal. They haven't done that with Raya yet either by the way but it was a good decision."
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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