Emiliano Martinez has opened up on his ambitions at Aston Villa while also dropping a hint over trying to convince some of his compatriots to join us.
The 30-year-old is continuing to play a fundamental role for us this season, with Unai Emery’s arrival last November proving to be a decisive moment as we’ve gone from the threat of relegation to putting ourselves in contention for Europe over just six months.
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Martinez has kept 13 clean sheets in 31 Premier League games so far this season, and beyond the statistics, his influence and impact for us between the posts is huge.
With five games to go, it’s hoped that we can finish the campaign well and return to Europe, but ultimately the long-term future looks bright under Emery, particularly if he can add real quality around key players in the current side to strengthen us and make us more competitive.
While there was naturally speculation surrounding Martinez’s future at the club after his World Cup success last year, he has never shied away from publicly stating his love for the club and his desire to help us achieve significant objectives moving forward.
He has echoed those thoughts in a new interview, while also dropping a cheeky hint that he is perhaps trying to convince some of his fellow Argentinians to join us too.
“It’s massive, the club. I’m proud to play for Aston Villa, I’m really proud,” Martinez said in an interview for the Premier League. “I love it here, I’m trying to bring my Argentinian friends to Villa! I just feel at home.
“It’s the best league in the world. I want to finish the season with Villa, try to qualify for Europe. I love the club, they made me the goalie I am today.
“I’m always grateful (to Villa) – I was always grateful to Arsenal for so many years – I just want to achieve things. I did it with Argentina. We hadn’t won a title for 36 years and we did it, I helped them do it. I want to do the same thing for Villa.”
It’s great to hear him talk about the club in this way, and it’s really hoped that not only will he play a pivotal role for us for the remainder of this season, but he’ll continue to be a pillar of Emery’s side for many more years.
Qualifying for Europe would certainly boost our chances of that, and that goes for others in the squad who might be attracting interest from elsewhere with their form this season too, but there is evidently a long-term and sustainable plan in place now under Emery to ensure we continue to improve.
With regards to his recruitment ploy, it’s unclear if it was indeed just a joke or if perhaps he is looking to convince some potential targets, as there were suggestions he perhaps played a small part in Emiliano Buendia’s move to Villa.
In turn, it’s an exciting possible development, but time will tell who Emery is targeting this summer, and initially, if we’ll be able to attract them with the opportunity of competing in Europe next season.