Chelsea sign Emiliano Martinez as Argentina goalkeeper targets ‘everything’

Chelsea have completed the signing of Emiliano Martinez from Aston Villa, with the Argentina international agreeing a three-season contract at Stamford Bridge.

Martinez said joining Chelsea had been an easy decision for both him and his family and that he was eager to begin his time at the club.

“I’m happy to be at this club, joining Chelsea was an easy choice for me and my family, and I can’t wait to start my journey,” he told the club’s official website.

The goalkeeper added that his ambition was to win trophies with Chelsea and bring the same determination he has shown throughout his career to his new team.

“I want to achieve success here, I’m someone who wants to win everything and I want to bring that here, because this team wins trophies and I think we understand each other,” he said.

Martinez also promised to give his full commitment to the club, his new team-mates and the supporters.

“I have a lot of passion and I play with my heart, I will give 100% in every match and every training session to make the club, my team-mates and the fans proud,” he added.

According to The Athletic, Chelsea have agreed to pay £7.5m for the 32-year-old as they look to strengthen their goalkeeping options.

The move follows two errors by Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez in the club’s opening match against Fulham, which increased manager Xabi Alonso’s desire to bring in another goalkeeper.

Sanchez has been Chelsea’s first-choice goalkeeper since joining from Brighton in 2023. He remains part of the club’s goalkeeping group, while young Belgium international Mike Penders is his current deputy and is highly regarded following his loan spell at Strasbourg.

Martinez had been close to leaving Aston Villa for Juventus at the beginning of August, but that transfer failed to go through. Aston Villa subsequently signed Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki from Parma, with Suzuki becoming the club’s first-choice goalkeeper.

The arrival of Martinez brings an experienced Premier League goalkeeper to Chelsea. He made 256 appearances for Aston Villa after moving to the club from Arsenal in September 2020.

Martinez established himself as a key figure at Villa and has also been a prominent member of the Argentina side. His move to Chelsea now gives Alonso another senior option in goal as the club responds to concerns over its early-season performances.

The Argentine goalkeeper’s immediate focus will be on settling into Chelsea’s squad and competing for a regular place, while the club will hope his experience can provide greater security in a position that has come under scrutiny.