Chelsea agreed a £7.5m deal to sign Emiliano Martinez from Aston Villa on 27 August, per the Guardian, Sky Sports, and The Athletic. The 33-year-old Argentina goalkeeper will sign a two-year contract with an option for a third year. The fee closes a window subplot that started when Villa bought Zion Suzuki from Parma for nearly £30m and Martinez lost his starting place at Villa Park.
For Chelsea, the move is a direct response to Robert Sanchez's mistake in Monday's 1-0 win at Fulham. Xabi Alonso identified a goalkeeper as a priority after that performance. Martinez arrives four days before the summer window shuts on 1 September at 23:00 BST, with Chelsea also fielding questions about Mike Penders, Enzo Fernandez, and whether Stamford Bridge can house three senior No 1s in a season without European football.
What Villa sold
Martinez won the 2022 World Cup with Argentina and made 259 appearances for Villa after joining from Arsenal in 2020. He kept Villa competitive in Europe and stayed through Unai Emery's rebuild. That run ended when Suzuki completed his medical and signed a five-year deal in mid-August.
Juventus were linked earlier in the window. They signed Guglielmo Vicario from Tottenham instead. Martinez pushed for an exit once Suzuki became the planned starter. Villa granted it for £7.5m, a fee that reflects age, contract length, and a goalkeeper who turns 34 in early September.
The sale also frees wages and a squad number before Villa host Arsenal on Monday 31 August in Matchweek 2. On the same day Villa announced the deal, they signed Leon Goretzka on a free transfer from Bayern Munich. The German midfielder made 312 Bayern appearances and has 73 Germany caps, per the Guardian.
What Chelsea need in football terms
Chelsea spent above £330m this summer, headlined by Morgan Rogers at £117m from Aston Villa. Alonso's first league point came from a 2-2 draw with Fulham on opening weekend. Sanchez started that game and was at fault for the equaliser, per match reports from Sky Sports and The Athletic.
The manager wanted a goalkeeper who has handled pressure in knockout football. Martinez fits that profile even at 34. Paul Merson told Sky Sports he is "one of the best goalkeepers in the world" and that Chelsea "have got to have a top goalkeeper" if they want to return to the top table.
The football question is simpler than the branding. Can Martinez command the box on set-pieces, organise a back line still missing Wesley Fofana, and give Alonso a reliable base while Chelsea chase a top-four finish? Sanchez can produce world-class shot-stopping in individual games. Martinez offers a career of doing it when trophies are on the line.
The risk if three No 1s stay
Penders started Chelsea's Carabao Cup tie with Luton on Thursday 27 August. Sanchez started at Fulham. Martinez is due to complete registration before Sunday's home game against Brighton.
Sky Sports asked whether Chelsea need three senior goalkeepers when they are not in Europe. Penders, 21, returned from a loan at Strasbourg and was expected to challenge Sanchez this season. Martinez's arrival makes that hierarchy public. Sources quoted by the Guardian believe Sanchez is unlikely to accept losing the No 1 shirt and may need to leave before the window closes. No obvious buyer has been named.
That is the risk for Alonso. He buys experience at a discount fee but inherits a dressing room with two other keepers who still believe they should start. If Sanchez stays unhappy and Penders needs minutes for development, the manager spends September managing egos instead of clean sheets.
What to watch before Brighton
Watch whether Martinez completes registration in time for Sunday's Brighton game. Watch who starts if he is not yet eligible. Watch whether Chelsea receive a formal bid for Enzo Fernandez from Manchester City. The Guardian reported City may move in the next 48 hours after missing an unofficial £120m deadline earlier in August. Fernandez was left out of the Luton cup tie. Chelsea insist no deal is close.
Watch Villa's Monday night fixture against Arsenal without Martinez. Suzuki is the starter now. Goretzka is the new midfield voice. The goalkeeper sale and the free transfer landed on the same day because Villa's window is still moving while points are already on the table.
Martinez cost £7.5m. Chelsea's season may turn on whether that fee buys calm or another crowded position before Tuesday night.
Sources
- The Guardian: Chelsea agree £7.5m deal for Emiliano Martinez (27 August 2026).
- Sky Sports: Chelsea agree £7.5m deal for Martinez (27 August 2026).
- The Athletic: Chelsea agree Martinez deal (27 August 2026).
- The Guardian: Villa sign Goretzka on free transfer (27 August 2026).