09/28/2025

Aston Villa eye move for £25m Martinez successor who's beaten them 6 times

By h79snht.top

da fazobetai: Aston Villa are thought to be interested in completing the signing of an “exceptional” goalkeeper this summer, seeing him as an ideal replacement for Emiliano Martinez.

Martinez could leave Aston Villa this summer

da wazamba: It looks likely that Martinez will bring an end to his time at Villa Park in the near future, following five brilliant years at the club, during which time he has also won the World Cup with Argentina.

The 32-year-old cut an emotional figure after Villa’s final home Premier League game of the season against Tottenham on May 16th, further suggesting that he has now played his final game for the club.

While Martinez hasn’t yet officially left the Villans, the writing does appear to be on the wall, meaning Unai Emery will need to bring in a top-quality ‘keeper this summer, in order to replace one of the best in the world in his position.

Lille stopper Lucas Chevalier has been mentioned as one potential option, with highly-rated Espanyol ace Joan Garcia also linked with a move to Villa.

Aston Villa eyeing "exceptional" £25m goalkeeper

Speaking to Football Insider, former scout Mick Brown claimed that Aston Villa are interested in signing Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale this summer:

“If Aston Villa are going to lose their goalkeeper, they need a replacement. They will already have a number of targets in mind, it won’t catch them by surprise. They’ve got a list of options to choose from, and I believe Aaron Ramsdale is on there. There are a lot of clubs interested in Ramsdale because he’s going to be available.

“He’s got this release clause in his contract which will make the deal relatively cheap, and there are a lot of clubs who need a goalkeeper. If Martinez leaves, they really want a top-level option to replace him because he’ll be a big miss. Whether Ramsdale is that man will be up to them to decide, but they’ve certainly been looking.”

Southampton's Aaron Ramsdale.

Ramsdale is almost certain to leave Southampton after their relegation to the Championship – he has a £25m release clause in his contract – and he is an experienced player who has now proven himself in the Premier League for plenty of years, beating Villa six times overall.

The 27-year-old is a five-cap England international, and he also made 89 appearances for Arsenal, with Mikel Arteta lauding him during their time together, saying:

“He’s been exceptional around the place with the situation. Like everybody. We love him more for sure. We have him every day. We know him, we know his character and we are really happy to have him.”

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There is an argument to say that Villa need to aim higher than Ramsdale, however, with the Saints man arguably not on Martinez’s level, and replaced by David Raya at Arsenal for a reason. That said, there are certainly worse options out there and his best years could still be ahead of him.