Aston Villa holds firm on Emiliano Martínez valuation as Juventus lowball offer rejected

Aston Villa has drawn a line in the sand. The Premier League club is refusing to let Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez leave for the €6-7 million that Juventus reportedly offered, instead seeking a fee in the €10-15 million range. For context, Villa paid £20 million to sign him from Arsenal back in September 2020, so selling him for a fraction of that was never going to fly.

Martínez has apparently already reached a verbal agreement with Juventus on personal terms. A three-year deal worth roughly €5.5 million net per year, which is actually a pay cut from the €7 million he currently earns at Villa Park. The player wants to go. The buying club wants him. The only problem is that the selling club thinks Juventus is trying to get a World Cup winner at clearance-rack prices.

Why the valuation gap matters beyond football

Transfermarkt, the widely referenced football valuation database, lists Martínez’s market value at €12 million. That sits right in the middle of Villa’s asking range, which suggests the club isn’t being unreasonable. Juventus, on the other hand, is betting that a 33-year-old goalkeeper’s age gives them leverage to push the price down.

Martínez remains under contract with Aston Villa until 2028 or 2029, which gives the club significant leverage. Unlike a player in the final year of a deal who could walk for free, Villa has time on their side. They don’t need to sell, and they certainly don’t need to sell cheap.

The Premier League premium and cross-league dynamics

Martínez joined Villa in 2020 and went on to become one of the most decorated goalkeepers in the sport. He was central to Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph and has been a consistent performer in the Premier League. Selling a player of that caliber for €6-7 million would set a precedent Villa has no interest in establishing.

For Juventus, the calculus is different. Serie A clubs have historically been more conservative with transfer fees, especially for players north of 30. The Italian giants are banking on the idea that Villa will eventually soften their stance as the transfer window progresses, creating the kind of deadline pressure that forces sellers to accept less favorable terms.

The slight flexibility Villa has reportedly shown suggests a deal will eventually get done somewhere in the middle, probably closer to €10 million than €7 million.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.