Juventus have ‘started to make plans’ for a possible move for Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez as they eye up a long-term replacement for Wojciech Szczesny.
That’s according to Juve Dipendenza, who say the Argentine is at the top of the Italian giant’s list of goalkeeper targets.
The website explains that Juventus have always had a top-level goalkeeper, and while Szczesny has followed up Buffon admirably, there are still doubts he is at that same level as the Italian icon.
As a result, Juventus are ‘thinking without excessive haste and urgency’ about the possibility of buying a new goalkeeper for the future.
The man at the top of their list is Aston Villa star Martinez, whose consistent performances at Villa Park have apparently caught the eye.
Juventus are one of those who have taken notice, and they are ‘starting to put plans in place’ for a move in the summer.
While they would view the Argentine as a replacement for Szczesny, there is an idea of having the pair of them competing for one spot, and the Polish goalkeeper even acting as something of a mentor.
Juve view Martinez as a ‘reliable goalkeeper’ with ‘sure technical and character quality’ as well as being amazing when it comes to penalties.
For the moment, there is no need for them to change, but they are thinking for the future, and they want to get ahead of the competition, who may also move for the Aston Villa number one.
They want to find the ‘right moment’ to make a move, but it’s claimed that Martinez ‘can’t wait to leave Birmingham’.
He is grateful for the chance the Villans have given him but feels now it is time for him ‘take off’ and find a new club so he can ‘fully prove’ that he is one of the best goalkeepers in Europe.
Juventus, therefore, are ‘starting to think insistently’ about a move and hope it can be concluded ‘in the best possible way’, but there is no mention of what fee they’d want or even if Aston Villa will even entertain the idea.
They’re unlikely to want to lose their star man, and he only signed a new deal in January 2022, which runs until 2027, so there’s no pressure on Steven Gerrard’s side either.
Indeed, that new contract would seemingly contradict the idea that Martinez is suddenly desperate to leave Villa in the near future.
That, and the fact this has come out of the blue, means we’ll have to take this story with a hefty pinch of salt at this moment in time.
