By the end of last season, players at Aston Villa had already learned to downplay the noise surrounding Damian Martínez's potential transfer.
Even though Damian Martínez signed a new contract in August 2024, Villa’s players have grown so accustomed to rumors of his departure from the club that they have begun to simply ignore them.
Members of Martínez's camp are often talkative, and rumors about Martínez emerge every transfer window. It is understood that Martínez himself has at times not quelled these rumors within the team.
Unfortunately for Villa, those in charge of transfer operations cannot step back. Since Martínez’s teary farewell at Villa Park after Villa’s 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in May, the Argentine star has cast a shadow over the club’s summer plans.
Martínez wants to leave this summer, and Villa is also willing to sell him. However, aside from a loan offer from Manchester United last month, the club has not received any formal bids so far.
With no transfer fee secured, Martínez’s name still remains on the payroll—and his departure would be in everyone’s interest. On August 31, there were rumors that he would eventually join Manchester United, which marked a turning point.
According to The Daily Mail, the decision to exclude Martínez came from Unai Emery, not because the goalkeeper refused to play. The 32-year-old was originally set to feature in the match against Crystal Palace but was told over the weekend that he would not be included.
From Martínez’s perspective, he believes he has demonstrated dedication and professionalism by continuing to play despite illness, injury, and uncertainty about his future.
How did things escalate to this point?
While Martínez and Emery have mutual respect, their relationship is not unbreakable.
It is understood that in early 2023, when Martínez returned to Villa Park as a World Cup winner, he felt he did not receive the same level of admiration that his national team teammate Alexis Mac Allister had at Brighton. At the time, after the Qatar World Cup, Mac Allister returned to Brighton and was given a hero’s welcome by club staff and teammates.
It is believed that some of Villa’s senior executives were somewhat concerned about Martínez’s antics after the World Cup final. Back then, he made an obscene gesture after winning the Golden Glove Award and mocked French striker Kylian Mbappé. Upon Martínez’s return from the Middle East, Villa’s top brass approached him to question him about this behavior.
In February 2023, Martínez put in a poor performance in Villa’s 4-2 home defeat to Arsenal, leaving Emery deeply disappointed. In the final moments of stoppage time, Villa was trailing 3-2 and trying to equalize; Martínez left his penalty area to join the attack for a final corner, but Arsenal seized the opportunity to counterattack. Gabriel Martinelli tapped the ball into an empty net with Martínez stranded, leaving the goalkeeper helpless. Emery even briefly questioned whether he needed a new goalkeeper like David Raya, who is more adept at ball control with his feet.
Over Emery’s two-and-a-half seasons in charge of Villa, Martínez has played a crucial role. Emery has also frequently praised Martínez’s mental attributes, calling him the best goalkeeper in the world. This proves that the two have been able to resolve differences and build a solid working relationship.
A year ago, Martínez earned a new contract with his outstanding performances, making him one of Villa’s highest earners alongside Youri Tielemans, with a weekly wage of over £150,000.
Talks with Mendes
Long before Martínez’s controversial teary farewell at Villa Park following the 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in May—an incident that caused a stir—sources revealed he was already exploring ways to secure a transfer.
Earlier this spring, Martínez held talks with representatives from Gestifute, the agency owned by super agent Jorge Mendes.
Mendes has close ties with several clubs, including Atlético Madrid and multiple teams in the Saudi Pro League. Since Martínez has no desire to move to the Saudi league at present, he was advised to transfer to Atlético Madrid—a club with a large contingent of Argentine players—while Jan Oblak would head to Saudi Arabia.
However, like Martínez, Oblak is also not keen on joining a Saudi club.
Despite the best efforts of Martínez’s team, interest in him has been lukewarm. There are indeed people at Chelsea who admire him, but at over 30 and with a high salary, he does not fit Chelsea’s recruitment profile, which prioritizes young players with resale value.
Given that Manchester United opted for the relatively inexperienced Senne Lammens over Martínez, it seems reasonable to question whether United was ever truly interested in him.
The transfer windows in Turkey and Saudi Arabia remain open until mid-September, but as things stand, Martínez has no interest in moving to either country.
Nevertheless, the situation bears watching. If Martínez leaves and Villa does not want to rely solely on Marco Bizot as the only first-team goalkeeper for the rest of the season, they may turn to the free agent market. Rui Patrício and Lukasz Fabianski are both free agents.
Martínez’s Role in the Team
There is a fine line between being inspiring and intimidating. Like Tyrone Mings, Martínez is a leader at Villa. When he is fully focused on his work, he is a charismatic figurehead.
However, when things do not go his way, it is widely believed that Martínez makes his teammates feel on edge. He has a strong personality, to the extent that other players—especially younger, less experienced ones—feel they have to walk on eggshells around him.
This is not a slight on Martínez; top athletes throughout sports history have faced similar situations—even Arsenal’s all-time top scorer Thierry Henry. Yet this matter must be handled with caution.
If Martínez stays until at least January next year, Emery and his most trusted advisor—Director of Football Damian Vidagany—will do their utmost to rebuild their relationship with him. Martínez also needs to reach a compromise with Villa’s hierarchy. Vidagany is a natural communicator and will play a crucial role in the coming weeks.
