Emiliano Martinez was seen making an emotional lap around Villa Park in the final home game of the season as they won 2-0 against Spurs.
The stopper was only required to make one save as he kept his eighth clean sheet of the season in the Premier League in a game that could be crucial in securing Champions League football for another season as they have moved into fifth place in the Premier League with Man City still to play their gameweek 37 fixture against Bournemouth after they play in the FA Cup final this weekend.
Rumours are already circulating that Aston Villa may be on the hunt, with doubts cast on Martinez’s future by the Mail earlier this month.
How important has Martinez been for Aston Villa?
Martinez signed for Aston Villa in 2020 from Arsenal for an estimated £15 million according to Transfermarkt. Since then, he has gone on to keep 69 clean sheets in his 211 Aston Villa appearances. His elaborate saving technique was a key factor in Aston Villa’s rise in that time, which has seen them move from 17th in the league to Champions League football with their fourth-place finish in the 2023/24 season.
His performances for Aston Villa earned him his first international cap in June 2021, having originally made the bench for a pair of friendlies a full 10 years before in 2011. His debut saw Argentina draw 1-1 with Chile, and in that time, he has played in all but nine of Argentina’s internationals.
His performances have seen his side become dominant in international football, sitting number one in the World Rankings, having won two Copa Americas and the 2022 World Cup. The keeper will be infamous for his save in the World Cup final in extra time, which helped his captain, Lionel Messi, complete football.
Martinez won the Yashin Trophy on the last two occasions for his performances at both club and international levels. Since the award’s inception in 2019, set to name the best goalkeeper in the world for that year, he is the only keeper to win the award twice.
His best season in an Aston Villa shirt came in his first year, where he kept 15 clean sheets across the 38 league games, although his five clean sheets in the Champions League in the 2024/25 season have been impressive for a keeper who was on loan at League Two Oxford United in 2012.
Where could Martinez move to this summer?
At 32 years old, this may be seen as Martinez’s chance to get a big payday outside of the Premier League, with reports of strong Saudi interest. Fabrizio Romano has confirmed there has been contact made from Saudi Arabia, although he has labelled the move currently simply as “a possibility”.
Outside of Saudi Arabia, a move would simply be speculation, but a potential move to the MLS wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility. In the slim chance of the keeper staying in the Premier League, a move to Chelsea or Manchester United would be an option to replace the underperforming Robert Sanchez or Andre Onana.