Chelsea sign Emi Martinez from Aston Villa on three-year deal

New Delhi, Aug 30 (IANS) Chelsea have signed Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez on a three-year deal a day before the transfer deadline closes.

Martinez joins the Blues for three years after having spent six years with Aston Villa, during which he won the UEFA Europa League. He is a 2022 FIFA World Cup winner and also received the Golden Glove for a stellar tournament.

“I’m delighted to be at this football club,” Martinez said in a statement from Chelsea. “Coming to Chelsea, for me and my family, was an easy decision to make and I’m just over the moon – I can’t wait to get started.

“I want to be successful here. I’m someone who wants to win at everything I do and I want to bring that here to this football club because it’s a football club that wins titles, so I think it’s a good match. I’m all passion and I play with my heart. I will give 100 per cent every game, every training session to make the club, my teammates and the supporters proud,” he added.

Martinez started his youth career in Independiente before completing a move to Arsenal in 2010. He spent several seasons on loan to gain first-team experience and later became an Arsenal regular in 2019/20, when he won the FA Cup.

The Argentine then made a move to Aston Villa, for whom he made 213 appearances and also went on to make his international debut in 2021. He has since been Argentina’s top-choice goalkeeper and was the cornerstone in their 2022 win, including some spectacular saves in the final against France.

Martinez also played a crucial role as Argentina made it to the final of the 2026 World Cup, where they eventually lost to European powerhouse Spain in the showdown. Martinez was awarded the title of the world’s best-performing goalkeeper at the 2023 and 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremonies.

–IANS

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