Amid speculation linking us with Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia, are Aston Villa eyeing a potential replacement for Emiliano Martinez this summer?
With four fundamental Premier League games remaining, there is still so much to play for as Villa target a Champions League qualification spot, which in turn could have a major influence on our plans in the upcoming summer transfer window.
READ MORE: Five key talking points as disappointing Villa exit FA Cup, season at risk of fizzling out
The ongoing concern of PSR looms large as Monchi and the management team will have to navigate a path that not only strengthens the squad and makes us more competitive, but also keeps us in a healthy financial position to avoid incurring any unwanted penalties.
We saw that last summer with the sale of Douglas Luiz and again in January as Jhon Duran departed, and it may well be a reoccurring theme in the years to come to continue to raise funds for our own spending, but to also balance the books.
Particularly if we miss out on Champions League football, there could be some difficult decisions ahead. Who is indispensable? Who can we afford to sell, and subsequently, adequately replace?
One surprise name that could seemingly be paired with an exit in the coming months is Martinez, as Villa continue to be linked with a move for Garcia.
As reported by Cadena Ser, Emery wants Villa to trigger the Spanish shot-stopper’s release clause and beat Real Madrid to his signature, with the view of replacing Martinez, and so time will tell if the pieces fall into place for the deal to happen and a reshuffle in that department to take shape.
It has also been reported that the 23-year-old’s release clause potentially stands at €25m, and so that would be a significant portion of our possible budget for the summer, and that surely doesn’t indicate a signing that is expected to sit on the bench behind Martinez all season.
That would certainly be the ideal scenario if he’s given time to adapt, adjust and learn from the Argentine international, but in the position we’re in, it’s hard to believe we have that level of financial flexibility unless we’re planning sales elsewhere, even though we seemingly need to address that area of the squad this summer with suggestions that Robin Olsen is set to move on.
With no agreements in place and much of this merely early transfer talk ahead of the summer, it remains to be seen what Villa’s strategy is as we continue to try and build a younger squad, reduce the wage bill and build a competitive group that Emery can mould and improve.
That said, in a difficult moment in our season, it’s easy to focus on the negatives. Let’s not forget that Martinez has established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the world over the past few years, has made defining and decisive saves time and time again to play an important part in our progression, and signed a contract extension to stay with us until 2029.
Further, he’s improved other facets of his game under Emery, namely his distribution, and so despite the negative statistics and mistakes that he’s made this season, we’d be losing a top-class player and a leader in the dressing room, if an exit became a genuine possibility at the end of the season.
If Villa press ahead with our touted pursuit of Garcia, it will raise further question marks over what it means for Martinez, and the big question for Emery, Monchi and the club, is whether or not this is the right time to replace him, both financially and competitively, in the best interests of the club.
