Aston Villa could sell goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez “at the right price” this summer, transfer insider Dean Jones has told GIVEMESPORT.
The 30-year-old has been Unai Emery’s unquestioned first-choice option between the sticks at Villa Park.
Aston Villa transfer news – Emiliano Martinez
In a recent interview following Villa’s 3-0 victory over Bournemouth last month, Martinez expressed his happiness with life at Villa Park, pouring cold water on rumours that he’s angling for a move elsewhere.
“My career went through the roof since I joined the club. I’ve always said I’m grateful to this club, and I love being here”, Martinez told the media (via The Mirror).
Jones has recently told GIVEMESPORT that Villa could demand a fee of around £60m from Tottenham Hotspur for Martinez’s services this summer if the north London outfit look to replace current number one Hugo Lloris.
And the journalist believes that the goalkeeper’s future depends on what clubs choose to come in for him during the transfer window.
What has Jones said about Aston Villa and Martinez?
Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “There is still a long way to go in terms of where Aston Villa are now and winning things.
“Whether Martinez stays or not will come down to who comes in for him.
“What profile and level of club fancy him? Will a Tottenham come in, or will they decide to go elsewhere?
“I think Aston Villa would sell at the right price, but that won’t be cheap. He’ll become one of the most expensive goalkeepers in the world.”
How has Martinez performed for Aston Villa this season?
Both Martinez and Villa have enjoyed a turnaround in fortunes since Emery took charge of the club in November, having launched themselves from the bottom three and into contention to bring European football to Villa Park next season.
The £120,000 per-week earner has played in all but two of the West Midlands giants’ Premier League fixtures this term, keeping ten clean sheets, seven of which have come since Emery’s arrival.
The 28-cap Argentina international – dubbed as “crazy” by former Manchester City star Pablo Zabaleta – also played a significant part in his country’s World Cup triumph in December, with La Albiceleste having the stopper to thank for penalty shootout victories over the Netherlands and France, the latter of which came in the final.
An average WhoScored rating of 6.91 for his displays in the top flight this term ranks the former Arsenal man as the second-best-performing player in the Villa squad, indicating how important he is to the Villans’ chances of success.
Therefore, Villa will demand a premium fee to let one of their most prized assets leave the club this summer, but it seems unlikely that Martinez won’t have one eye on a move to a Champions League club, despite his recent comments.
