Speculation over Emiliano Martinez’s future continues to be rife, but the Aston Villa goalkeeper has once again reiterated his happiness at the club.
As noted numerous times in recent months, interest in Martinez was always to be expected given the impressive nature of his performances for us, but particularly after what he has achieved at international level with Argentina.
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As per the Daily Mail, the likes of Tottenham and Juventus have been paired with an interest in him in more recent times, as rumours of a potential summer swoop from elsewhere refuse to go away despite Martinez himself explicitly and publicly stating on various occasions how happy he is with us.
Ultimately though, while he reiterated that point again this past weekend, as per his comments below, much will surely continue to depend on whether or not we’re able to match his ambition moving forward, and if we can make sufficient progress at a quick enough rate to ensure he is convinced to stay.
That goes for others in the squad too who will no doubt attract interest given how they’ve impressed under Unai Emery, but it’s crucial now that we keep them at the club and build around them, as we look to go from strength to strength rather than having to fill voids after exits.
While there are no guarantees as things can change quickly, Martinez sounds like he’s in it for the long haul with Villa if we can compete at a higher level moving forward, and he dropped a big hint over where he sees his future again.
“My career went through the roof since I joined the club,” Martinez told VillaTV. “I’ve always said I’m grateful to this club and I love being here.
“My family’s happy at the club; my boy is obsessed with playing football and he plays for Under-6s in the Academy.
“We’re loving our time here and hopefully there are many years to come.”
Martinez also spoke about his pride after registering his 33rd clean sheet in 99 Premier League appearances for Villa, equalling the club record shared by both Mark Bosnich and Brad Friedel.
The Argentine World Cup winner was keen to thank his teammates for their role in that achievement, and he’ll certainly hope to break the record by securing another clean sheet next time out at Chelsea on April 1.
While his more immediate focus switches back to Argentina during the international break, there will be much to play for in a Villa shirt between now and the end of the season, as we look to not only break into the top half of the Premier League, but aim higher with a potential European spot up for grabs too.
