Chelsea have reached a £7.5m agreement to recruit Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
The 33-year-old Argentina international is expected to complete a medical in London before joining the goalkeeping department at Stamford Bridge.
The decision comes amid doubts about Robert Sanchez’s recent displays, especially following Monday’s 3-2 victory over Fulham.
Sanchez, Chelsea’s first-choice keeper since 2023, failed to stop Josh King’s near-post attempt after the ball slipped through his hands. In the second half, he also pushed another shot into a dangerous position, enabling Gonzalo Garcia to score.
The transfer marks a significant change of approach at Stamford Bridge. Club officials had intended to continue supporting Sanchez but decided to pursue Martinez shortly before the transfer window closes.
Chelsea can also call upon Mike Penders, who arrived from Genk in a £17m deal. He is expected to make his first appearance in Thursday night’s Carabao Cup tie against Luton Town.
Villa became open to Martinez’s departure after recruiting Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki from Parma for approximately £30m earlier this month.
This is another transfer in a growing series of transactions involving Chelsea and Villa.
Chelsea acquired forward Morgan Rogers from Villa for a club-record £117m, while Alejandro Garnacho went the other way on an initial loan agreement last month.
Nicolas Jackson, a striker valued at around £65m, was undergoing a medical at Villa Park on Thursday ahead of a reunion with former Villarreal coach Unai Emery.
The two clubs are understood to share a strong working relationship. They previously completed a transaction commonly labelled a ‘PSR swap’, with defender Ian Maatsen moving to Villa and Omari Kellyman, who is now at Strasbourg, joining Chelsea.
Juventus tried to recruit Martinez earlier in the transfer window, but concerns surrounding a finger problem caused the proposed move to fall through.
The Turin side subsequently brought in Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario on loan.
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