Chelsea land Martinez for £7.5m

The deal

What started as exploratory contact with Martinez's representatives moved quickly to a full agreement between the two clubs, according to Sky Sports and BBC Sport. The 33-year-old Argentina international is now expected to travel to London for his medical, with personal terms not reported as a sticking point by any source covering the story.

The £7.5m fee is the detail that will get attention. Martinez has been one of the most recognisable goalkeepers in world football since Argentina's 2022 World Cup win in Qatar, where his penalty-shootout heroics became the defining images of the tournament. Aston Villa paid significantly more to bring him to the Premier League from Arsenal back in 2020. Getting him out of the door for £7.5m in the summer of 2026 is a different kind of transaction entirely.

Chelsea's gain

Chelsea have been linked with a new goalkeeper for much of the window, with concerns around the existing options at Stamford Bridge referenced across multiple reports. Martinez, whatever questions come with his age, answers those concerns with a CV that few goalkeepers in the world can match: a World Cup winner, a Copa América winner, and a player who has been among the best in the Premier League at his position for the better part of five years. Chelsea are not signing a project.

Villa's problem

For Unai Emery's side, the picture is less comfortable. Martinez has been Villa's first-choice goalkeeper since his arrival and a genuine leader within the squad. Losing him this late in the window leaves Villa needing a replacement before the summer transfer deadline, with no obvious succession plan in place.

Sources: Sky Sports [1][2], BBC Sport [3][4], GiveMeSport [5], FootballJOE [6]