Emiliano Martinez’s long-term future at Aston Villa is under threat amid friction with new manager Unai Emery, sources have told Football Insider.
The goalkeeper, who is starring for Argentina at the World Cup, is midway through his third season at Villa and firmly established as one of the Premier League’s finest goalkeepers.
But the 30-year-old’s relationship with Emery is a concern for Villa followers who see him as one of the most important players at the club.
It is understood, said one source, that the pair had a “fall-out” at Arsenal during the Spaniard’s 18-month spell as the club’s manager.
That friction is still present and is a hurdle for them to overcome in the second half of the season.
It throws new doubt on to the future of Martinez, who was rewarded by Villa with a new five-year contract last January amid interest from rival clubs.
Martinez spent a decade at Arsenal, mainly playing second fiddle to other keepers as well as learning his trade during multiple loan spells, before he joined Villa in the summer of 2020.
He was widely regarded as the Midlands giants’ best player in the previous two seasons and key to them maintaining their Premier League status.
The Argentine has not been quite as effective this season with regular observers noting a drop in his once very high standards.
This comes amid a backdrop of interest from Villa in Sevilla keeper Yassine Bounou, as first revealed by Football Insider last week.
Emery is a huge admirer of Bounou, who plays for his former club as well as for Morocco at the World Cup and is widely regarded as one of the best keepers in La Liga.
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By: Wayne Veysey
Title: Revealed: Aston Villa star man has tense relationship with Emery after ‘Fall-out’
Sourced From: www.footballinsider247.com/aston-villa-sources-martinez/
Published Date: Mon, 28 Nov 2022 06:49:17 +0000
