Aston Villa’s Director of Football Operations, Damian Vidagany, has clarified the club’s position on Emiliano Martinez and has ruled out an exit for him this summer.
Speculation was rife over Martinez’s future last summer and it had been suggested that an exit was close, but a departure ultimately didn’t materialise and he continued to play a pivotal role in our progress and success last season.
Unsurprisingly though, rumours have begun to circulate over his future again this summer while he participates at the World Cup, and so questions remain over whether or not he will continue as first-choice goalkeeper in the upcoming campaign.
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Vidagany has moved to clarify the club’s stance on the situation this time round and he has effectively dismissed speculation over Martinez’s future by insisting that the Argentine shot-stopper is staying with us and reports regarding a move to Juventus aren’t accurate.
“Dibu’s future is secure,” he told 365 Scores, as per Goal.com. “He’s staying with us, and we have no intention of letting him go this summer. The team needs his commitment and his vast experience, and he’s a very important asset in our project for next season.
“All the media reports about his possible departure to Juventus don’t reflect the club’s true position. MartÃnez is a very important player for us, and we expect him to continue to perform exceptionally well alongside his teammates.”
It’s important that the situation has now been cleared up from within the club, as having the rumours drag on throughout the summer and there being an element of uncertainty over whether or not we would have to replace Martinez in this transfer window would have been far from ideal for all concerned.
Instead, provided that Villa’s No.1 shares the stance above and isn’t looking to move on, we’ll have him between the posts again next season and we can continue to prioritise strengthening in other areas of the squad.
Vidagany’s comments also perhaps hint at a change in approach for Villa with regards to incoming signings, as he emphasised the importance of Martinez’s experience and how crucial he will be in the project for next season.
That seems to suggest that we may well look to bring in younger players to complement the stalwarts that we have in the group already, and so assuming this is now the stance through to the end of the summer transfer window, Villa and Unai Emery will be able to continue to lean on Martinez to help us build on the success that we enjoyed last season and continue to plan for long-term progress.
