The transfer mystery of Argentina s national goalkeeper "Big Martin": From saying goodbye with tears to staying in Villa?

The transfer mystery of "Big Martin" Martinez: From saying goodbye with tears to staying in Villa?

This Argentine national goal is preparing for the new season with the team, and the prospects for staying in the team are clear.

On May 16 this year, Damian Martinez ("Grand Martin") ended the 2024/25 season at Villa Park Stadium. At that time, the scene of his deep greeting to the pool fans with tears in his eyes was generally interpreted by the British media as a formal farewell to Aston Villa. However, months later, the goalkeeper remains in Birmingham and is preparing for the pre-season with the team - and is very likely to stay.

According to Marca, the ins and outs of things are as follows: Aston Villa understands Martinez's desire to seek new challenges after his long and successful career in Villa. Since joining in 2020, he has played more than 200 games for the team, and is a key contributor to help coach Emery lead the team back to the Champions League. At the same time, his glorious years at Villa also complemented his personal peak performance in the Argentina national team - he won the title of best goalkeeper in the world many times and achieved remarkable achievements.

However, the expected transfer opportunities in the outside world have never been successful. The closest time came from Manchester United, but the "Red Devils" only proposed a plan to add discounts on loans and some players, which was far from Villa's psychological expectations. Currently, Martinez's contract with the club has been signed until 2028, and he is the highest-paid player in the team and is also regarded as an indispensable cornerstone for the team.

In fact, Villa Club has never taken the initiative to push its departure. On the contrary, coach Emery and the club's executive team have always maintained a high degree of understanding with Martinez. His outstanding performance in the preseason further confirmed the team's current stable situation - except for all rumors, the lineup structure is still the same.

Therefore, as the transfer window is approaching and the Premier League is about to start in a week, it is extremely out of place to leave the team again. It can be said that it would be a natural result for him to stay in Villa in the end.