Emiliano Martínez has landed at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport on Monday and it’s creating transfer rumours with the local club.
The Aston Villa goalkeeper made an apparent tearful goodbye to the club’s fans after the final home game of the season. Whether he knew an exit was inevitable or whether it was a tactic conjured up by an agent to try and put downward pressure on the price and attract interest is unknown.
A few days after that, an Aston Villa source spoke to the Spanish media and expressed annoyance with the subsequent reports, making it clear the Premier League club will only consider selling for a price which suits them. It felt like Aston Villa wanted to grasp back control.
Martínez was sent off in Aston Villa’s defeat to Manchester United on Sunday, meaning there’ll be no Champions League football next season.
According to Catalan newspaper Sport and Jigantes, he’s flown out to Barcelona the following day.
Sport report the goalkeeper is now represented by Jorge Mendes, after talks were held with his Gestifute agency at the beginning of May.
It’s also explained Mendes is set to fly to Barcelona this week for talks about the summer market. Clearly, this is all encouraging the idea of a move from Aston Villa to the Blaugrana, yet apart from circumstantial evidence there’s nothing else at this stage.
Barcelona do need a goalkeeper, although they probably wouldn’t want to match what Aston Villa would request.