Aston Villa are going well this season but may have an important decision in the summer.placeholder image
Aston Villa are going well this season but may have an important decision in the summer. | AFP via Getty Images
Aston Villa might need to sanction a key player exit this summer as the club look to reach new heights.
Aston Villa have been one of this season’s greatest success stories and with Champions League qualification still firmly in their sights amidst exploits in Europe, the Villans have much reason to be positive at present.
Unai Emery has led a squad with very limited investment in the summer – and many of the players who they did sign ahead of the season have struggled to make an impact – to what looks set to be Villa’s highest top-flight finish in a generation since 1992/93, if they can secure a top three place.
What the Spaniard has done in the West Midlands has been remarkable, particularly considering the PSR restraints which have limited the club off the pitch. It might, therefore, be necessary for the Villa Park outfit to sell one of their key players in the summer. While, if possible, they should avoid selling talisman Morgan Rogers, it may be time to move on from another big-name stalwart at the end of the season.
Aston Villa should allow Emiliano Martínez to depart this summer
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez has been a major pillar of Aston Villa’s successful period under Emery, becoming one of the best goalkeepers in the world and even winning the personal accolades to show for it during his time as a Villa player.
The Villans spent £20 million on Martínez from Arsenal in 2020, and he has been a resounding success. While it is unclear whether the club would be able to command the same fee now, reports that they valued the shot-stopper at closer to £30m last summer may make some kind of indication of the value the experienced Argentine would still have to several top clubs around Europe – including Inter Milan, who have recently been reported to be interested.
Martínez has had a fantastic Villa career, but it might be time to move on
This transfer would be less about the money and more about preparing the club for the future, though. It can be argued that Martínez has passed his peak in a Villa shirt – he received criticism at points for his performances last season, while The Athletic reported on January 19 of this year that he had made the most errors leading to goals of any player in the division at the time, with three.
Martínez will turn 34 in September and with many younger goalkeeping options available on the market, in addition to the player being open to a new challenge as he enters the twilight of his career, it might be the right time for both player and club to part ways. Furthermore, as one of the highest earners at the club with a reported £150,000-a-week wage, getting Martínez off the wage bill could ease Villa’s financial concerns, too.
‘Emi’ will undoubtedly be remembered fondly at Villa Park. Not only for his contributions to a succession of European finishes under Emery, but how often in the past have Villa fans been able to boast that they have owned the best goalkeeper in the world for two successive years? The Argentine’s move to the West Midlands has been a perfect marriage from both sides, but part of that is to know when comes the right time to move on. With the club looking to begin a new era as an established Champions League challenger, the time for a fresh start might be this summer.
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