In a recent report, Argentine news outlet Ole (via Fichajes) stated that Aston Villa are among several clubs hoping to land River Plate defender David Martinez, who is playing on loan from Defensa. It is understood that the Villans could face competition from Fiorentina, Atlético de Madrid, AC Milan and Inter Milan in pursuit of the Paraguay international.
Martinez’s Impressive Run Of Form At El Monumental
The 23-year-old is having a solid campaign in Argentine football as he has managed to put in some solid displays at the heart of River Plate’s defence. However, he has also missed a few games because of a muscle injury.
Martinez has featured in 12 league matches for the Argentine giants this season so far. The Paraguayan centre-back deserves a lot of credit for averaging 1.4 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 3.6 clearances per game in the Liga Profesional. He has even distributed the ball relatively well after making 83.4% of his attempted passes in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
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Is Martinez A Good Choice For Aston Villa Boss Steven Gerrard?
Martinez can use his strong 1.85m frame to dominate the opposition attackers in the air. He can get stuck in with a few crunching tackles to earn the ball back for his side when needed. The four-time Paraguay international also doesn’t take too many risks when putting his foot through the ball to clear the danger on the defensive third of the field. He is also a tidy passer of the ball but is yet to prove his worth outside South American football.
Joining Aston Villa could be an ideal opportunity for the player as he will get a chance to test himself in the Premier League. Martinez is a strong centre-back who would add more bite and steel to Steven Gerrard‘s backline at Villa Park.
At 23, there is still a lot of room for improvement in the Paraguayan sensation’s game, so the Villans would be wise to get him on board in the not-too-distant future. Martinez is good enough to increase competition for places within Gerrard’s match-day squad which makes him a decent choice for the West Midlands outfit to target next year.
