Chelsea have signed Emiliano Martinez from Aston Villa for £7.5 million, handing the Argentina World Cup winner a three-year contract in one of the most eye-catching goalkeeper moves of the summer.
The 33-year-old leaves Villa after six seasons and 256 appearances. But the deal is significant for another reason: Martinez becomes the eighth player transaction between Chelsea and Aston Villa since 2022, underlining an increasingly active transfer relationship between the Premier League clubs.
Emiliano Martinez Chelsea transfer fee and contract
Chelsea have secured Martinez for a reported £7.5 million, while the goalkeeper has signed a three-year contract at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea officially confirmed Martinez’s arrival, with the Argentine saying he was delighted to make the move and wanted to bring his winning mentality to the club.
Chelsea have also confirmed Martinez will wear the No.26 shirt, a number famously associated with former captain John Terry.
Why did Emiliano Martinez leave Aston Villa?
Martinez joined Villa from Arsenal in September 2020 and became one of the club’s most important players. He made 256 appearances across six seasons and helped Aston Villa win the UEFA Europa League last season.
His reputation also grew dramatically at international level. Martinez became Argentina’s first-choice goalkeeper, won the Copa America in 2021 and 2024 and played a decisive role in the country’s 2022 World Cup triumph.
He has also won the Yashin Trophy twice, in 2023 and 2024.
Martinez had attracted interest from Juventus earlier in the transfer window, but Chelsea ultimately emerged as his destination.
What does Martinez mean for Chelsea’s goalkeepers?
Martinez arrives as a goalkeeper capable of competing immediately for the starting position. At 33, this is different from Chelsea’s recent preference for investing heavily in younger players with long-term resale potential.
Instead, Chelsea are getting a proven Premier League goalkeeper with experience in World Cup, Copa America and European knockout football.
His arrival comes during another period of change at Stamford Bridge. The club’s broader reset began earlier this year with Chelsea’s managerial change, while inconsistent performances have continued to raise questions about the squad.
That pressure was evident when Everton beat Chelsea 3-0 in March, one of several results that increased scrutiny on the team’s ability to compete consistently at the top end of the Premier League.
Martinez becomes eighth Chelsea-Villa deal
The transfer continues an extraordinary sequence of business between Chelsea and Aston Villa.
- Carney Chukwuemeka: Villa to Chelsea — £20m
- Ian Maatsen: Chelsea to Villa — £37.5m
- Omari Kellyman: Villa to Chelsea — £19m
- Axel Disasi: Chelsea to Villa — £5m loan fee
- Morgan Rogers: Villa to Chelsea — £117m
- Alejandro Garnacho: Chelsea to Villa — loan with a conditional obligation worth around £43m
- Nicolas Jackson: Chelsea to Villa — £65m
- Emiliano Martinez: Villa to Chelsea — £7.5m
The final four deals have happened this summer alone.
How much have Chelsea and Villa spent on each other?
Since 2022, Chelsea have paid Aston Villa about £163.5 million for players.
Villa have spent approximately £102.5 million on Chelsea players, including Disasi’s loan fee. That figure could rise to around £150.5 million if the conditions attached to Garnacho’s move are met.
The volume of transactions has attracted attention elsewhere in the Premier League, particularly because clubs must manage domestic and UEFA financial rules.
There is no suggestion Chelsea or Aston Villa have broken any rules.
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Why are the Chelsea-Villa deals attracting attention?
UEFA can scrutinise transfers involving the same clubs when transactions take place within a 45-day period.
This summer, Garnacho moved to Villa two days after Rogers joined Chelsea, while Jackson’s permanent Villa transfer was completed 38 days after the Rogers deal.
Those timings alone do not mean the transfers were connected. Villa had previously been interested in Jackson, who worked with Unai Emery at Villarreal, while Chelsea had their own reasons for pursuing an experienced goalkeeper.
Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali and Villa owner Nassef Sawiris have also developed a strong working relationship and have communicated directly over transfer business.
Why the £7.5m Martinez deal stands out
Martinez is relatively inexpensive compared with the huge fees involved in the Rogers and Jackson moves, but his immediate influence could be significant.
Chelsea are buying experience rather than potential. Martinez arrives as a World Cup-winning goalkeeper accustomed to pressure, major finals and Premier League football, while Villa close the chapter on one of the defining players of their recent rise.
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