Reports!!! Emiliano Martinez surprised as Unai Emery already find his replacement even before his departure

Aston Villa are reportedly interested in signing Premier League goal keeper Jose Sa this summer, seeing him as a potential replacement for Emiliano Martinez.

Is Martinez leaving Villa this summer?

A number of Villa players have enjoyed excellent seasons, with their fortunes transformed under Unai Emery, but none have gone through a more exciting period than Martinez. The 30-year-old has not only performed impressively between the sticks at Villa Park, making 35 starts in the Premier League, but he has also tasted World Cup glory with Argentina.

Not only that, but he was one of his country’s star men in Qatar, perhaps only behind Lionel Messi, proving to be the penalty hero so often in shootouts, and also making a huge save in the last minute of extra-time in the final victory over France.

Martinez’s current standing in the game means that there is likely to be interest from top clubs at the end of the season, and the player also wants to quit the Midlands this summer, so Villa may find it difficult to keep hold of him. Admittedly, his current deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2027, though, so the club will be able to demand huge money for his services.

It looks as though the Villans may be resigned to losing the Argentine, with a new claim suggesting that they have already found a possible replacement.

Could Sa come in Martinez’s replacement?

According to TuttoMercatoWeb [via Sport Witness], Sa could be an option for Villa during the summer window, having impressed for Wolves since arriving from Olympiakos in 2021. The report claims that Martinez “can say goodbye” to the club in the coming months and is valued at €40m, at which point their attention could switch to snapping up the Portuguese stopper, valued at €20m.

Sa could be an excellent signing by Villa, and while Martinez could arguably be better, he has shown that he can be a strong performer in the Premier League, making 75 appearances in the competition in two seasons. The £28,000-a-week Wolves ace has been hailed as “amazing” by teammate Daniel Podence, and at 30, he would be coming in at a great time in his career, with his best days still potentially ahead of him.

In an ideal world, Martinez would simply stay put and continue to be a key figure for years to come, but if Sa coming in to replace him is the next-best option, it may not be a bad outcome for Villa.