Former Aston Villa player and BBC pundit Alan Hutton has shared his thoughts on Emi Martinez and his future at the Midlands club.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Villa manager Unai Emery could be open to cashing in on the shot-stopper to increase funds for his summer spending.
Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton had this to say when asked if he thinks Martinez will be at Villa next season.
He said: “I hope so. He is an outstanding goalkeeper. He is a World Cup winner, his confidence will be through the roof. He is a main player within that squad.
“But I understand that with that comes other teams sniffing about him. It is understandable.
“I hope he knows the way that the club is moving forward with the new manager, the type of player he is bringing in will push them up the league.
“I think if they get into that top ten and start pushing forward and you see their identity then he might want to stay. But, ultimately money talks.
“If a bid comes in from a big football team then they will obviously listen to it and he might want to leave.”
Since joining the Villa Park outfit from Arsenal back in 2020 for a fee of £17m, the Argentine has made 97 appearances for the club across all competitions, keeping 31 clean sheets in the process.
The 30-year-old’s overall performances in the Premier League this term have earned him a season rating of 6.76/10 from WhoScored, making him the joint-second highest rated player at Villa.
Should Villa consider cashing in on Emi Martinez this summer?
Yes
No
However, with only five other goalkeepers in the division having a lower save percentage than Martinez (65.5%), it could be said that he has not always been particularly dependable in net this season.
Looking ahead to the next summer transfer window, we feel that while it could be a risk getting rid of their first-choice goalkeeper, Villa should definitely consider selling Martinez, only as long as they get an appropriate fee for him and bring in a suitable replacement.