Towards the end of last season, even Aston Villa’s players had learned to drown out the noise.
Even though Emiliano Martinez had signed a new contract in August 2024, Villa’s squad had become so accustomed to suggestions he would leave the club that they started simply to ignore it.
Martinez’s camp can be talkative types and speculation from the usual areas about high-profile interest in Martinez punctuates every transfer window. It is thought that at times, Martinez himself has done little to dampen such speculation at Bodymoor Heath.
Sadly for Villa, those who run their transfer business are unable to take a step back. Ever since Martinez made his tearful exit after Villa’s 2-0 win over Tottenham last May, the Argentine has cast a shadow over the club’s summer planning.
He wanted to leave this summer and Villa were open to selling, yet no formal offers came – beyond a loan bid from Manchester United last month. With no transfer fee incoming and Martinez still on the wage bill, it was in everyone’s interests for Martinez to depart and for a time on August 31, it looked as though he would end up at United. That is where the breaking point came.
Mail Sport understands that the call to leave out Martinez came from Emery, rather than a case of the goalkeeper refusing to play. The 32-year-old was prepared to line up against Crystal Palace but was told over the weekend that he would not be involved.
From Martinez’s side, he believes he has demonstrated his commitment and professionalism by playing through illness and injury before, as well as when there was uncertainty about his future.
For his part, Emery is adamant that he will consider only those players who are focused completely on the task at hand. Once he decided Martinez’s mind was elsewhere, Marco Bizot was playing. Who starts in goal at Everton on September 13?
How has it come to this?
Though they share huge mutual respect, the relationship between Martinez and Unai Emery has not been without its tricky moments.
Mail Sport understands that when Martinez returned to Villa as a world champion in the early part of 2023, he believed he was not afforded the same adulation as Argentina team-mate Alexis Mac Allister. Then at Brighton, Mac Allister was given a hero’s welcome by club staff when he reported for duty after the tournament in Qatar.
It is believed that some senior figures at Villa were a little alarmed by Martinez’s antics following the Final, when he made a lewd gesture after being awarded the golden glove and mocked France forward Kylian Mbappe. This is thought to have been communicated to the player on when he was back from the Middle East.
Then Emery was left hugely frustrated by Martinez’s display in a 4-2 home defeat by Arsenal in February 2023, when the goalkeeper advanced for a corner as Villa chased a late equaliser, only for Arsenal to break away and score the clincher with Martinez nowhere. Emery even wondered whether he needed a new goalkeeper in the mould of Arsenal’s David Raya, who was more comfortable with the ball at his feet
It is testament to both men that they worked out their differences and built a brilliant working relationship. Both deserve great credit for two-and-a-half fabulous seasons for Villa, with Emery regularly praising Martinez’s mentality and calling him the world’s best. Martinez’s displays earned him a new deal a year ago that made him Villa’s joint-top earner alongside Youri Tielemans, on close to £200,000 a week.
At the time, it appeared an impressive deal: Martinez had enjoyed a super season and remained an elite performer. With the benefit of hindsight, however, perhaps both Villa and Martinez might not have been so quick to make the commitment.
Mendes talks
Long before Martinez set hares running with a tearful farewell to Villa Park following the 2-0 win over Tottenham in May, word had leaked that he was looking for a way out.
Mail Sport revealed earlier in the spring that Martinez had held talks with representatives of Gestifute, the company controlled by super-agent Jorge Mendes. Among his many strong links, Mendes has close ties with both Atletico Madrid and clubs in the Saudi Pro League. With Martinez not keen to move to the Pro League just yet, there were suggestions that he could switch to Atletico – who have a sizeable Argentine contingent – with Jan Oblak heading for Saudi Arabia. But like Martinez, Oblak didn’t fancy the Pro League.
As much as Martinez’s camp pushed it, interest was lukewarm. There were some at Chelsea who admired him but, in his early-thirties and highly-paid, he hardly fit their profile of young, improving players with resale value. And with United opting for the relatively untested Senne Lammens over Martinez, it seems reasonable to ask whether they were ever really all that interested.
The transfer windows in Turkey and Saudi Arabia remain open until mid-September but as things stand, Martinez is keen on neither. Watch this space, though. If Martinez leaves and Villa do not want to go into the remainder of the season with Marco Bizot as their only senior keeper, they could turn to the free agent market, where Rui Patricio and Lukasz Fabianski are among those available.
If Martinez stays, Villa fans should look at the examples of Luka Modric and Luis Suarez, two of the best players to grace the Premier League. Modric was at odds with Tottenham in summer 2011, as was Suarez with Liverpool two years later.
Both wanted to leave, both were told to stay – and delivered fine seasons before moving on the following spring. There is no reason Martinez cannot do the same, especially with a World Cup to retain next summer.
Martinez’s role in the squad
There is a fine line between inspiration and intimidation. Along with Tyrone Mings, Martinez is the alpha male of the Villa squad and, when his mind is on the job, he is a very charismatic leader.
Yet when things are not going his way, it is thought Martinez – albeit not intentionally – can make colleagues wary. So forceful is his personality that other players, especially those with less experience, can sometimes feel they are treading on eggshells around him.
This is not a slight on Martinez and has happened throughout sporting history with top athletes – even Thierry Henry at Arsenal. But it has to be handled with great care.
If Martinez stays at least until January, Emery and his trusted advisors, like director of football Damian Vidagany, will need all their skill to reconnect with Martinez. Martinez will need to meet Villa halfway, too. Vidagany is a natural communicator and will be vital in the coming weeks.
Villa’s window
The captures of Victor Lindelof, Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott will undoubtedly lift the mood among a squad who have not been at their happiest since returning for pre-season in July.
Villa officials spent much of the 3-0 home defeat by Crystal Palace on the phone, trying to make deals.
Some players have watched the lack of activity during the window and started to worry. While rivals improved, they felt Villa were standing still. Evann Guessand arrived from Nice but he will need time to adapt. Indeed, Mail Sport understands Crystal Palace were interested in Guessand but did not think the Ivorian attacker worth the £30million Villa may ultimately pay. Guessand started against Palace but was taken off at half-time.
Jacob Ramsey’s sale to Newcastle also made waves. The homegrown midfielder, a local lad, was very popular among team-mates and Mail Sport understands his preference was to sign a new deal and stay.
Given their tricky financial situation, though, Villa felt they could not justify a substantial pay increase for Ramsey and Newcastle’s £40m offer was too good to turn down.
This was communicated to the player, who decided to leave – much to the dismay of many in the Villa squad.
Even without the Ramsey saga, Villa’s camp was not as settled as it had been. Morgan Rogers had interest from across the Premier League, particularly from Chelsea and Tottenham, but Villa refused to negotiate.
They stuck to that stance with John McGinn amid interest from Newcastle and Everton though neither player, as yet, has signed a new deal, with all contract talks shelved until the window has closed.
Rogers and McGinn are not the only ones in line for pay rises. Matty Cash, Pau Torres and Youri Tielemans are among those expecting improved terms – not an easy puzzle for Villa to solve when they need to stay in line with UEFA spending rules.
Then there is Ollie Watkins. The England forward thought he might join boyhood club Arsenal either last January or this summer, and he was also on United’s list. Watkins’ head was certainly turned and his start to the season has been sluggish – but he is a proven performer and will surely recover.
Emery falls into the same category. The closing of the window, and the international break, will be a relief for the Villa boss, who has not seemed quite himself this term. He has been frustrated by the unforgiving spending rules which, Villa believe, favour of the traditional elite and penalises ambitious clubs like themselves and Newcastle. They may have a point.
But with new faces in the building and two weeks to reset, Emery hopes it will be a fresher, more focused Villa who arrive to take on Jack Grealish and Everton on September 11. Because if not, it could be a very long winter indeed.