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The agent of Aston Villa custodian Emiliano Martinez is currently in Argentina and will remain there until at least the end of the week, amid interest from Juventus.
After coming close to leaving Villa Park last summer, Martinez could finally be on his way out this year as the Italian giants put in a push for him.
The goalkeeper has emerged as a top target for Juventus, with efforts starting to be made to take him to Turin.
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Juventus have been in touch with the entourage of the Aston Villa star this week regarding a possible move.
Despite the transfer activity picking up, it does seem that no quick developments regarding Martinez are expected, which can be inferred from where his agent is.
According to Italian journalist Alessio Lento, Martinez’s agent is currently in Argentina and will not leave the South American country for at least the rest of this week.
Juventus and Martinez’s agent could still communicate, but his presence in Argentina indicates talks have likely not reached a serious stage.
Goalkeeper Club
Emi Martinez Aston Villa
Guglielmo Vicario Tottenham Hotspur
Alisson Liverpool
Alex Meret Napoli
Martinez was linked with moves to both Manchester United and Atletico Madrid last summer, but nothing eventually materialised and he stayed put to get his hands on the Europa League trophy at the end of the season.
He finished the season with 44 appearances overall for Aston Villa, managing 14 clean sheets and also leading his team to a top-four finish.
There are hurdles to be overcome as far as Juventus’ pursuit of Martinez is concerned, with the fee Aston Villa would demand and the player’s wage requests.
Juventus have not qualified for the Champions League, which is sure to have an impact on their finances.
Besides the absence of his agent, Martinez himself is also headed to the World Cup, which is also expected to push his exit to the back burner for now.