Chelsea Weighs Move for Emiliano Martínez as Goalkeeping Situation Unfolds
Chelsea have been offered the chance to sign Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, with the World Cup winner’s camp sounding out the club as uncertainty grows over Robert Sánchez’s position.
A source confirmed to ESPN’s Mark Ogden that Martínez has been put on Chelsea’s radar after Villa moved decisively for Japan international Zion Suzuki, whom they now view as their long-term No. 1.
Villa ready to move on from Martínez
The shift at Villa has been sharp. Once central to their project, Martínez is now available as the club reshape both their squad profile and their balance sheet.
A proposed move to Juventus collapsed earlier in August, leaving the Argentina international in limbo. He played no part in Villa’s bruising 4-0 defeat to Brighton on the Premier League’s opening weekend, a notable omission that underlined his changing status.
Martínez joined Villa from Arsenal in 2020 for £17 million ($23m) and quickly became one of the league’s standout goalkeepers. But Villa are now open to a sale as they look to lower the average age of the squad and ease financial pressure.
Their need to generate funds this summer has been clear. Morgan Rogers has already joined Chelsea for £117 million ($159m), while Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne have also departed as the club work to stay within UEFA and Premier League financial regulations.
Chelsea’s goalkeeping question grows louder
At Stamford Bridge, the timing is striking.
Sánchez’s position has come under renewed scrutiny after a shaky display in Monday’s 3-2 win over Fulham, when he allowed a tame effort from Josh King to squirm through him. It was the kind of mistake that lingers, especially at a club with title ambitions.
Chelsea are now weighing whether to move for Martínez before the transfer window closes, a source confirmed, with the prospect of an established Premier League goalkeeper suddenly on the table.
The plan had been more gradual. Internally, there was hope that 21-year-old Belgian Mike Penders, who spent last season on loan at Strasbourg, could develop into a genuine challenger for the No. 1 shirt. He is in line to make his first-team debut against Luton in the Carabao Cup on Thursday, a moment the club had earmarked as part of his progression.
But the opportunity to bring in a proven international of Martínez’s stature changes the equation. He was a pivotal figure in Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph and helped them reach the final of this summer’s tournament, where they finished runners-up to Spain. That pedigree is hard to ignore for a side aiming to compete at the top end of the Premier League.
Sánchez’s struggles are not new. Mauricio Pochettino dropped him as first choice in 2024, turning instead to the relatively untested Serbia international Djordje Petrovic. Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior have also left Sánchez out at various points in response to dips in form. The pattern has become familiar.
Now Chelsea must decide: persist with a keeper under pressure, fast-track Penders, or pivot to Martínez, who arrives with big-game scars and medals in equal measure.
Alonso calm on Enzo Fernández amid City links
While the goalkeeper debate rumbles on, Xabi Alonso is trying to keep the noise down elsewhere.
The Chelsea manager said on Wednesday that he expects Enzo Fernández to be involved against Luton despite ongoing speculation over the midfielder’s future. The Argentina international has been consistently linked with Manchester City, with Chelsea valuing him at £120 million ($163m).
“Yes we expect that he’s involved. He’s training really well and he is a good professional,” Alonso told reporters.
Pressed on whether he wants the 25-year-old to stay, Alonso kept it simple: “We want to have the best team possible. We know Enzo and his qualities. He has shown it and we have to wait. We’ll think about tomorrow and let’s see how things develop.”
Alonso also confirmed that Moisés Caicedo and Marco Palestra remain sidelined, but Cole Palmer has been passed fit.
So Chelsea head into the final stretch of the window juggling two very different questions: can they trust their current No. 1, and can they keep hold of their record-breaking midfielder?
