Emmanuel Petit has encouraged Chelsea to break one of their transfer policies and beat Manchester United to the signature of Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez. Since Todd Boehly's takeover in 2023, Chelsea have prioritised the signing of young stars, but Martinez would buck that trend in a major way at 32 years of age.
The Blues have some senior goalkeepers in their squad already, but none have truly stamped their mark on the No.1 jersey. Djordje Petrovic was sold to Bournemoith last month, while Robert Sanchez was the preferred choice last season, but numerous mistakes have led to suggestions Enzo Maresca might be looking for a new first-choice stopper.
While most of Chelsea's dealings have focused on bolstering their attacking options, there now appears to be extra focus on strengthening the defence.
Martinez has thrived since moving to Villa Park, winning the World Cup with Argentina in 2022 and helping his club qualify for the Champions League. He is now considered one of Europe's top goalkeepers and appeared emotional after Villa's final home game of last season, sparking rumours he might be planning to leave.
Old Trafford has been touted as a possible destination due to the uncertainties surrounding Andre Onana, who is determined to fight for his place. However, they have not yet intensified their efforts to sign Martinez, who is reportedly valued at £40million.
Petit, however, believes his former club Chelsea should make a bid for Villa's shot-stopper, predicting the Midlands team could lose several key players.
"Emiliano Martinez would be an inspiration in the Chelsea dressing room," he told The Escapist. "I have criticised his behaviour in the past but he knows what it takes to win titles, he has that experience. He can inspire other players, and he has all the qualities needed of a top goalkeeper.
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"He would be a very good signing for Chelsea, and 32 isn't old for a goalkeeper. I think he'd link well with Enzo Maresca and the players already at the club.
"One fear I have is for Aston Villa, I am worried about them with top players leaving the club, I'm not sure where it will leave them next season."
The last player Chelsea signed who was over the age of 30 is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who arrived at the club in September 2022. In the three years since that deal, the west London giants have diverted their transfer attentions to young (but not necessarily cheap) prospects with higher sell-on value, reports The Mirror.
Despite speculation, Villa manager Unai Emery has dismissed the idea that Martinez is on the move. On the Premier League's final day, the Spaniard insisted there was "no way" his keeper would be moving on.
Maresca, who is also rumoured to be interested in AC Milan star Mike Maignan, has downplayed the notion of bringing in another goalkeeper, saying: "The keeper situation is simple, Robert is No.1, Filip [Jorgensen] is No.2, and we will analyse and judge [Mike] Penders. Maignan and different players at other clubs – I don't think it is worth talking about them."