Chelsea have officially announced the completion of the signing of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez from Aston Villa on a three-year contract. The transfer has been valued by the British press at around £7.5 million, equivalent to $10 million.
In a statement published on Chelsea's official website on Sunday, Martinez said: "I have always played with my heart and passion. I will give 100% in every match and every training session to please the club, my teammates, and the fans."
Emiliano Martinez returns to London, where he began his professional career at Arsenal, though he never secured a regular starting spot in the first team. After several loan spells, he joined Aston Villa in 2020 and made over 250 appearances for the Birmingham-based club.
Last season, Martinez was a key figure in Aston Villa's Europa League triumph under coach Unai Emery. With Chelsea's new manager Xabi Alonso, the 33-year-old goalkeeper is expected to solve the long-standing goalkeeping issues that have troubled the West London club in recent years.
Robert Sanchez, Chelsea's current first-choice goalkeeper, continues to face criticism following the 3-2 win over Fulham on Monday in the Premier League opener.
Martinez is the second player to move between Chelsea and Aston Villa in this summer transfer window, after striker Nicolas Jackson left Chelsea for Villa a few days ago. Martinez's departure is also part of a major overhaul at Aston Villa, which has seen several key players such as Lucas Digne, Ezri Konsa, Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers, and Ollie Watkins leave the club.
Martinez's exit from Villa was widely anticipated, as the club had already signed young Japanese goalkeeper Zion Suzuki (24) earlier in the transfer window.
