Chelsea sign Emiliano Martínez from Aston Villa on three-year deal

Chelsea have completed the signing of Emiliano Martínez from Aston Villa, adding a World Cup-winning goalkeeper to Xabi Alonso’s squad and immediately reshaping the competition for the No.1 position at Stamford Bridge.

The 33-year-old Argentina international has signed a three-year contract with Chelsea and will wear the No.26 shirt, a number most closely associated at the club with John Terry. The move gives Chelsea an experienced alternative to Robert Sánchez after a start to the season in which questions over the goalkeeping hierarchy had already returned.

Chelsea have not disclosed the financial terms of the deal, although British media reports have put the fee at around £7.5m. At that price, the transfer represents a relatively low-cost addition for a goalkeeper with Martínez’s Premier League experience, international record and recent European pedigree.

Martínez leaves Villa after six seasons, having joined from Arsenal in 2020 and made 256 appearances for the club. His period at Villa Park transformed his career from long-serving reserve goalkeeper into one of the division’s most prominent figures, while his status with Argentina was secured by the 2022 World Cup triumph and Copa América titles in 2021 and 2024.

His departure also follows a shift in Villa’s own goalkeeping plans. The club signed Japan international Zion Suzuki from Parma earlier in the window, creating a route for Martínez to leave despite his role in Villa’s rise under Unai Emery, including last season’s fourth-place Premier League finish and Europa League success.

For Chelsea, the significance of the signing is not only depth. Martínez brings authority, penalty-box presence and a record in high-pressure matches, but his arrival also applies direct pressure to Sánchez, who has remained first choice since joining from Brighton in 2023 without fully removing doubts over the position.

Martínez will now begin work at Cobham with Alonso’s squad, with Chelsea’s next decision coming quickly: whether to integrate him immediately or allow Sánchez another opportunity to hold the shirt. Either way, the signing changes the tone of Chelsea’s goalkeeping department before the transfer window closes.