Juventus are still considering a move for Emi Martinez, but the goalkeeper’s own impassioned words during Villa’s trophy parade make any departure extremely difficult to believe.
- Corriere dello Sport report Villa would ask €20m for Martinez who has been “offered to Juventus on more than one occasion”
- The Argentine’s contract runs until 2029 giving Villa enormous leverage in any negotiation
- Martinez delivered a passionate parade speech: “People said I was going to Manchester United. They were wrong!”
- Juventus have not qualified for the Champions League: a significant disadvantage against Villa’s offer
The story so far. A familiar cycle
This is a story Villa supporters have lived through before. Emotional farewell scenes at Villa Park. Summer speculation about Martinez’s future. Inter Milan. Manchester United. And now Juventus. Each summer, the rumour mill generates heat. Each time, Martinez has stayed and delivered. His Europa League final performance, played through a broken finger, is the most recent and most powerful evidence of a player entirely committed to the Villa project.
This summer, the cycle has begun again. Corriere dello Sport report that Juventus are considering Martinez as an alternative after their pursuit of Liverpool’s Alisson Becker faded, with Andoni Iraola’s arrival as the new Liverpool manager making a sale less likely. Intermediaries around Martinez have been active offering him to the Turin club “on more than one occasion” across recent weeks.
Sky Italia add that Villa would want approximately €20m, while Martinez’s own wage demands of €7m per year represent the most significant obstacle for Juve. The Old Lady have not qualified for the Champions League next season. Their financial position makes a deal extremely challenging regardless of their desire.
“They were wrong”. Martinez’s own words
The most important context for this story is not the Italian media reports. It is what Martinez himself said during Villa’s trophy parade through Birmingham city centre.
“People were saying I only win titles with Argentina; but guess what? They’re wrong! People were saying I was going to Manchester United; but guess what? They’re wrong!” That specific, passionate and public rebuttal delivered to tens of thousands of Villa supporters on the streets of Birmingham was not the language of a man preparing to leave.
His pre-final interview was equally definitive. “There is a commitment with Aston Villa. I am a World Cup winner with Aston Villa and I have won two Golden Gloves with Aston Villa. I will always and forever love this club.” Three years remaining on his contract. Champions League football confirmed. An Europa League trophy in the cabinet. The case for staying has never been stronger.
The Juventus problem. No Champions League, high wages
Juventus face specific and significant obstacles in any Martinez pursuit. Their failure to qualify for the Champions League next season is the most fundamental barrier. Martinez has played Champions League football with Villa and will do so again next season. Moving to Juve means Europa League football at best. That is a considerable step down in ambition for a player who has just won the Europa League and is heading to the World Cup to defend Argentina’s title.
The wage structure creates a further complication. Martinez’s demands of €7m per year significantly exceed what Juve are comfortable committing to, particularly given the financial constraints that have already prevented deals for Alisson and Douglas Luiz. Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario, their alternative option, demands considerably lower wages and carries a more manageable price tag.
Villa’s contractual leverage is absolute. A contract running until 2029. A €20m asking price. Champions League football on offer. The balance of power sits firmly with the club rather than the player’s intermediaries.
Moritz Nicolas context. Succession planning quietly progressing
Villa’s pursuit of Borussia Mönchengladbach goalkeeper Moritz Nicolas takes on additional significance in this context. A £13m release clause. Thirteen clean sheets in 34 Bundesliga appearances. Open to a Villa Park move. The succession planning has been quietly advanced regardless of Martinez’s ultimate decision, which is exactly the kind of forward-thinking management that Emery’s recruitment team has consistently delivered.
ReadAstonVilla Verdict
Martinez said it himself at the parade. They were wrong about Manchester United. They will be wrong about Juventus. A goalkeeper with three years remaining on his contract, Champions League football ahead of him, and a Europa League trophy just weeks old does not leave for a club that failed to qualify for Europe’s elite competition. The intermediaries can keep working. The answer remains Villa.
