Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario and Aston Villa’s Emi Martinez haven’t had an easy past few months at their clubs.
Sport Witness have covered interest from Italy in the Azzurri goalkeeper. Inter Milan and Juventus are fans of his profile and there have been suggestions of initial contact too.
In January, Martinez was linked with a move to Serie A. The Nerazzurri appeared keen, even if a deal never materialised when the costs became clear.
It now seems like the future of the Tottenham player could be linked to that of the Aston Villa veteran.
Martinez as an alternative to Vicario
Calciomercato IT report on Inter’s plans to replace Yann Sommer in the summer.
They believe the Tottenham goalkeeper appeals a lot to CEO Beppe Marotta. Some progress has also been made with his entourage but the real problem lies with his age and valuation profile.
They do not want to go beyond €25m to sign him, with Spurs likely to demand more than that. Inter feel this is likely to be a lot for a player who is 29-years-of-age.
That is why Marotta will soon seek permission from the club’s Oaktree ownership.
In the meantime, Martinez is seen as an alternative. The outlet state the Argentina goalkeeper was offered to the Italian giants in January and that was behind the links during the winter window.
The only problem for the World Cup winner is his age and that Aston Villa will not let him depart for free in the summer. His contract at Villa Park runs out in 2029, which means that a deal will cost some amount, with Martinez’s wages of €3m a year – likely after tax – also causing worries.
Our take on Vicario and Martinez
The two goalkeepers are approaching the end of their spells at their respective clubs.
Vicario will obviously have more suitors in Italy, as he did quite well during his time at Empoli. Besides, he is increasingly close to being the Azzurri’s back-up to Gianluigi Donnarumma and that helps his status.
Martinez is older and at 33, a new challenge in Serie A could prove to be risky for suitors, specially on a high salary.
