According to the Telegraph’s Mike McGrath (subscription required), Arsenal are close to agreeing a new contract with in-form stopper Emiliano Martinez.
McGrath reports that the Gunners want the Argentine ace to stay at the club, with the north London outfit expected to hand Martinez the game time he expects next season.
It’s added that the 27-year-old has two years left on his current contract, an extension may be a wise move, as the Athletic recently reported that Arsenal would have to pay Martinez a bonus if he left.
The Independent claimed yesterday that Aston Villa were preparing a £10m bid for the stopper who excelled after being thrust into the No.1 spot following Bernd Leno’s injury.
This update is surprising, especially considering that Martinez has made it clear on several occasions in different interviews that he could leave this summer if he’s not handed the minutes he’d like.
Martinez is coming off the back of his first season as an important player of the first-team squad, with the South American primarily acting as the club’s backup stopper over the last year.
This was Martinez’s first serious taste of being involved in the first-team after six loan spells away from the club since joining a decade ago.
Martinez made a total of 23 appearances across all competitions, the ace’s solid performances have earned him a call-up to Argentina’s senior squad twice, with a first cap seemingly on the horizon.
Martinez deserves to be number one at the start of the season… he is simply is a better keeper than Leno !
I don’t know about “better” overall, but I think Emi is better for Arteta’s Arsenal. He’s terrific playing from the back; he’s very sure-handed; and the boldness he showed ragging Van Dijk is yet another indication that he contributes to the new winning atmosphere.
I’d rather keep both of them and give them both plenty of games in this tighter season, but if one had to go, I’d keep Emi. With his clearer track record, Leno would probably bring more from another club, too.
I think Arteta wants to keep both, as well as Maitland-Niles, and there’s a behind-the-scenes struggle going on as to whether Mikel really gets final say on transfers.
It only amounts to poor sense of judgement on performance if these salesmen should put Martinez for sale.
With due respect to Kepa and De Gea, I don’t think both has fair better this season than Martinez. If those performance by Emi against Liverpool, Man city ,Chelsea and latest against Liverpool were done by the two aforementioned keepers, the reactions could have been greeted with encomiums like “of course that’s their usual routine” , “oh ! what a world class performance” etc.
We cannot repeat the mistakes of Sczesny and Gnabry again, otherwise, it becomes an habit.