In a recent report, La Razon mentioned that Aston Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez is on Atletico Madrid’s radar as they are eyeing the Argentine keeper as a potential replacement for Jan Oblak who could be sold next summer. It is understood that the Spanish giants are showing interest in recruiting the Argentine keeper following his outstanding debut season with the Villans.
Martinez’s Impressive Numbers At Villa Park
Martinez impressed a lot of people with his performances for the West Midlands outfit in the previous campaign when he put in several solid displays as Dean Smith’s first-choice keeper. The 29-year-old was involved in 39 matches for the Villans last season, conceding 47 goals and securing 15 clean sheets in the process across various competitions.
The South American custodian did well to average 0.4 clearances and 7.0 long balls per game in the Premier League. However, he often went long when distributing the ball from the back which explains why he could only manage to complete 62.5% of his attempted passes in the English top tier (stats via whoscored).
Martinez’s current deal at Villa Park will run out in the summer of 2024, so the Villans will be under no pressure to cash in on him in January or next summer. Therefore, Diego Simeone’s side will have to table a big-money offer if they are to convince the Midlands giants to part ways with their prized asset.
Can The Villans Afford To Lose Martinez?
Standing at 1.95m, Martinez is a commanding presence inside his penalty box and can use his quick reflexes to make some important saves for his team. He is a solid handler of the ball as well and doesn’t mind coming out of his six-yard box to collect loose balls and crosses.
However, the Argentine goalie can improve his accuracy when passing the ball to his teammates from the back. At the moment, Martinez is playing some of the best football of his playing career, so it is no surprise that a top club like Atletico Madrid are showing interest in acquiring his signature.
Smith simply cannot afford to lose a player of Martinez’s quality as he is currently one of the first names in his teamsheet. Therefore, Aston Villa would be better off rejecting any bid they receive for the talented keeper in January or at the end of this campaign.
