Chelsea have struck a £7.5 million deal to bring goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez to Stamford Bridge from Aston Villa, ending the Argentine's six-year spell at Villa Park as the summer transfer window approaches its close.
Martínez, who turns 34 next week, is set to sign a two-year contract with the option to extend for a further year. Talks moved quickly after his representatives reached out to Chelsea earlier in the week, and the deal was finalised soon after. He is expected to walk straight into the role of Chelsea's first-choice goalkeeper.
The move comes after growing scrutiny of Robert Sánchez's form, which reached a low point during Chelsea's 3-2 win over Fulham on Monday when he was badly caught out by a tame effort from Josh King. Manager Xabi Alonso had reportedly identified strengthening the goalkeeping department as a key priority following that display.
Sánchez's struggles have been a recurring theme under multiple Chelsea managers. He was dropped in favour of Djordje Petrovic by Mauricio Pochettino in 2024, and both Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior also opted to leave him out during patches of poor form. With Martínez now arriving as a ready-made, experienced alternative, Sánchez's long-term future at the club looks uncertain, and sources suggest he may need to find a new club before Tuesday's deadline, though a clear destination has yet to emerge.
Television pundits were quick to weigh in on Chelsea's goalkeeping issues before the Martínez deal was confirmed. Speaking on Sky Sports during the Fulham match, Jamie Carragher said bluntly: "Chelsea will never win the league with Sánchez in goal. Impossible. It can't happen." Gary Neville echoed the sentiment, noting: "The reality of it is, Chelsea do need a new goalkeeper and it's one thing I'm surprised they haven't dealt with this in the transfer window. That's the last piece."
The arrival of Martínez also raises questions over the future of Mike Penders, the highly rated 21-year-old Belgian who spent last season on loan at Strasbourg and made his senior debut for Chelsea in Thursday's Carabao Cup tie against Luton. With Martínez set to take the gloves as number one, a loan move away from Stamford Bridge appears the likely path for Penders this season.
For Aston Villa, letting go of Martínez—who joined from Arsenal for £17 million in 2020—fits into a broader effort to lower the average age of their squad and manage their finances amid Premier League and UEFA regulatory pressures. The club has already sold Morgan Rogers to Chelsea for £117 million this summer, along with Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne, and had previously seen a proposed transfer of Martínez to Juventus collapse earlier in August. Villa's decision to sign Japan international Zion Suzuki as goalkeeping cover made Martínez's departure increasingly likely.
Aston Villa have moved to bolster their midfield in the meantime, confirming the free transfer of Germany international Leon Goretzka following his exit from Bayern Munich. The 31-year-old, who made 312 appearances across eight seasons in Bavaria and has 73 caps for his country, expressed enthusiasm about the switch. "I had a bit of long vacation, and it was a process to find out what I really wanted. From the first moment, I had a really good feeling, and I'm really happy to be here," Goretzka said.
He added: "I had a good feeling from the first conversation with the coach. Aston Villa is a really big club. I want to help the team to achieve their goals and to bring my experience that I have from my whole career." Goretzka also pointed to the appeal of regular high-stakes fixtures in England, saying: "I'm really looking forward to playing in these kinds of big games every few days. This is probably the biggest difference to the Bundesliga, where you have only several great games with big opponents."
Meanwhile, Chelsea's business elsewhere remains unresolved, with Manchester City reportedly poised to make a move for midfielder Enzo Fernández, who was left out of Thursday's Carabao Cup squad. Chelsea sources maintain no formal contact has been made by City and insist any sale of Fernández will happen strictly on their terms.
Based on reporting from Guardian Football and Independent Football.