Emiliano Martínez has finally secured his departure from Aston Villa, joining Chelsea in a £7.5m deal after two years of trying to force through an exit. The 33-year-old goalkeeper has signed a three-year contract at Stamford Bridge, ending his five-year stay at Villa Park.
Martínez had made no secret of his desire to leave Villa, with previous attempts to engineer a move failing to come to fruition. Just this month, a potential transfer to Juventus broke down before the Chelsea deal was struck. His arrival is expected to shake up Chelsea's goalkeeping hierarchy, with the Argentine tipped to take over as first-choice stopper ahead of Robert Sánchez.
The World Cup winner expressed his excitement at joining a club he views as aligned with his winning mentality. "I'm delighted to be at this football club," Martínez said via the Chelsea 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. 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."
He added: "I'm all passion and I play with my heart. I will give 100% every game, every training session to make the club, my teammates and the supporters proud."
Martínez's exit continues a summer of significant turnover at Villa Park, with the goalkeeper joining a growing list of departures that includes Ezri Konsa, Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne. Striker Ollie Watkins is also reportedly poised to follow suit and leave the club.
The shot-stopper's time at Villa was defined by consistent excellence between the posts since his 2020 arrival from Arsenal. He played a pivotal role as the club climbed back among England's elite, a rise that reached its high point with Villa's Europa League triumph in May of this year. His performances for Villa also helped launch his international career, having gone on to earn recognition as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, claiming back-to-back Yashin Trophies in 2023 and 2024 alongside two FIFA Best awards. During his time with the Villans, he also lifted two Copa América titles and the World Cup with Argentina in 2022.
In a statement marking his departure, Aston Villa paid tribute to the goalkeeper's contribution to the club's recent success. "Emi joined the club from Arsenal in 2020 and has been a commanding presence in goal throughout his time at the club, which culminated in him helping Villa win the Europa League in May," the statement read. "He earned his first international caps while at Aston Villa, going on to win two Copa América titles and a World Cup with Argentina. He was also twice named the world's No 1 one goalkeeper, picking up successive Yashin Trophies in 2023 and 2024 as well as two The Best Fifa Football awards. With his stellar performances and infectious competitive nature, Emi will always be remembered for his part in our recent journey and success and leaves Aston Villa with the very best wishes of everyone at the football club."
Martínez now embarks on a new chapter of his career at Chelsea, where he will be expected to bring his trophy-winning pedigree and vocal leadership to a club with its own ambitions of silverware.
Based on reporting from Guardian Football.