Today in an article published by The Independent, it states that Arsenal are reluctantly getting ready to sell Emi Martinez to Aston Villa.
It was well reported that Aston Villa had been sniffing around Matrinez with a fee in the region of £15m, much to the displeasure of Arsenal fans adamant that that fee does not come close to Emi’s value.
At the onset of Martinez sales rumors and buzz it was mentioned that Emi was requesting that Arsenal set a very reasonable fee on his head to make the likelihood of his sale a bit better. He was asking for it to be around £10m.
In the report in The Independent, it suggests that Aston Villa is preparing an offer that is above the £15m mark and closer to the £20m mark.
One can hardly blame Emi Martinez for taking his shot at being given the number one role outright. His cards have never been better, his value higher, nor his pitch more convincing. Now is certainly his best shot at being given the role, potentially seeing his closest competition Leno sold, and increasing his pay all in one go.
The reluctancy from Arsenal to sell also makes a lot of sense. The success Emi had since taking the leading spot after Bernd Leno’s injury will have surpassed just about every fan’s expectations. Hardly putting a foot wrong throughout his appearances and ending with two pieces of silverware has made for a remarkable story and if it is the end, what a way to end his time with Arsenal. Naturally the club would prefer he stay and have a true competition with Leno for the spot, but with playing time as Martinez’s main priority, competition with a keeper that has been preferred over the last two years is hardly conducive to achieving that goal.
Recently, it was revealed that Emi had turned down a greatly improved contract from Arsenal because it did not come with the promises and guarantees he was looking for. It sounds as though Aston Villa’s offer see Emi make close to £60,000 per-week and he is almost certainly going to be their lead man.
It was a pretty fierce 50/50 debate amongst people when it came to who should be kept and who should be moved. The dream result is they both stay, but at a time where neither would be willing to resign to being a backup and the club is in need of significant funds, it felt likely that someone would be on their way out.
However, with Martinez gone, Macy not really seeming ready to take hold of the number two role soundly, and also wanting to potentially leave, Arsenal will likely need to spend some of these funds. At that point you need to start asking what kind of keeper do you get for under £20m and how much does it really save you toward investing in other areas?
If this follows through, it looks as though Leno will retain his role now that he is healthy and Arsenal will face Martinez twice this year. It’s far from ideal, but how Arsenal make the best of it – on the pitch and financially – will be a big, big deal.
Gunner Thoughts 