Chelsea have completed a surprise move, signing Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. The 33-year-old, who has been linked with leaving Villa for the past two summers, has now secured his transfer for £7.5 million, signing a three-year contract with the London club.
This signing follows criticism of Chelsea's current number one, Robert Sanchez. Martinez, a 2022 World Cup winner with Argentina and a two-time recipient of the Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper, is expected to displace Sanchez.
Martinez expressed his delight, telling Chelsea's official website, "Coming to Chelsea, for me and my family, was an easy decision to make and I’m just over the moon – I can’t wait to get started." He added, "I want to be successful here. I’m someone who wants to win at everything I do and I want to bring that here to this football club because it’s a football club that wins titles, so I think it’s a good match."
Aston Villa stated that Martinez joined the club in 2020 and was a commanding presence, helping them win the UEFA Europa League in May. He earned his first international caps while at Villa, going on to win two Copa América titles and a FIFA World Cup with Argentina, and was twice named the world's number one goalkeeper.