Martinez appears to be happy in his current surroundings, with the 33-year-old making no attempt to force a move when exit doors opened up. He has flourished at Villa after joining them from Arsenal in 2020 - taking in over 220 appearances across all competitions.
Villa are understandably reluctant to part with Martinez as he remains a talismanic presence for them on and off the field. Some of his behaviour may be called into question at times, with antagonistic antics part of his professional make-up, but most goalkeepers fit into the enigmatic character pool.
Quizzed on why those that choose to line up between the sticks are like that, with Martinez occasionally taking things to the extreme, ex-Villa, Nottingham Forest and West Ham frontman Harewood said: “No idea. They have got something wrong with them, definitely! They are a different breed. To be fair, you have to be something like that to be a goalkeeper. We always said this in the dressing room, keepers are different. All of the keepers I played with, they have definitely been different from the normal bunch of lads.
“To be fair, you have to be a certain kind of person to be going in goal. To be a top goalkeeper, he has to be that sort of person. He [Martinez] seems like he is destined for more big things. Villa are very lucky to have him. Hopefully they can have him for another season. He is a player you would want to have at your club.”