Aston Villa have upped their bid for Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and have also entered the race for Bournemouth striker Josh King.
Martinez has made no secret of his desire to leave the Gunners this summer in search of a number one spot, after his brilliant end to the season in the place of injured Bernd Leno.
The Argentine has been with the north London club for ten years but last season was his first real opportunity to play for the senior team, and he took his chance with both gloves.
After helping Arsenal to their record 14th FA Cup, he made it clear he will only stay if he is given a fair shot at Leno’s shirt, and it is reported the club have made it clear the German is still their No.1.
According to The Athletic, Villa have already seen an initial offer for Martinez turned down by the Gunners.
But they are understood to have submitted a fresh bid that is ‘substantially closer’ to Arsenal’s £20million asking price, with the Villans offering Martinez regular first-team football in place of Tom Heaton, who is out with a knee injury and will miss the start of the season.
However, Arsenal will only let Martinez leave if they can find a replacement No.2, and so Aston Villa will be forced to wait to see if a deal can be struck.
Dean Smith has also ramped up his search for a new striker with reports of an official bid for Bournemouth’s Josh King.
Tottenham are also said to hold an interest in King as they search for back-up to Harry Kane this summer.
But Villa have joined the race for the Norway international signature after missing out on his former teammate Callum Wilson, who became a Newcastle player along with ex-Cherries star Ryan Fraser on Monday.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the Villans have offered £16million for the 28-year-old, who has entered the final 12 months of his contract and is said to be keen to remain in the Premier League this season following Bournemouth’s relegation.
Versatile attacker King, who can play out wide as well as a central striker, has scored 48 goals for Bournemouth since his arrival from Blackburn Rovers in 2015, and was a target for Manchester United in the January transfer window.
Smith wants to sign two new strikers this summer, with the club in talks over a move for top target Ollie Watkins of Brentford, while there is additional interest in Liverpool starlet Rhian Brewster and Celtic’s Odsonne Edouard.
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By: Joe Moore
Title: Aston Villa table second bid for Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and make £16m offer for Bournemouth striker Josh King
Sourced From: talksport.com/football/756168/aston-villa-arsenal-martinez-bournemouth-josh-king-bid/
Published Date: Tue, 08 Sep 2020 08:34:18 +0000
