Emiliano “Emi” Martinez looks set to remain at Aston Villa after his proposed move to Juventus collapsed over a transfer fee dispute, according to Sky Italia’s Gianluca Di Marzio, who described the deal as “unlikely.” The breakdown comes despite Martinez agreeing personal terms with the Turin club on a three-year contract worth around €5.5m net per season, a significant reduction on the €7m he currently earns at Villa Park. Juventus, seeking a discount as they reshape their goalkeeping options, were unwilling to meet Villa’s €10m valuation. For Villa, the refusal to compromise reflects their determination to keep their World Cup-winning goalkeeper central to Unai Emery’s Champions League project.
The chase made sense on paper. The Old Lady needed a goalkeeper with presence and authority, someone who could impose himself on a back line that rotated between Michele Di Gregorio and Mattia Perin last season without convincing anyone. Emi Martinez had the profile and the appetite for a move to Juventus. He was even prepared to take a wage cut to make it happen. The Villans, however, had no interest in making it easy. With the Argentine contracted until 2029 and no financial pressure to sell, they set their price and held it.
That is where the deal broke down. Villa had no reason to discount their first-choice goalkeeper simply because Juventus pointed to his age. Martinez is 33, but he is also their Europa League-winning No.1, a dressing-room leader and one of the most intimidating presences in the Premier League. According to Corriere dello Sport, Villa’s asking price stood at around €10m. According to Di Marzio, the Bianconeri wanted him for considerably less. That gap never closed.
In that sense, this is as much a statement about Villa as it is about the Turin club. Unai Emery’s side have spent two years building something serious at Villa Park. Letting the World Cup winner go cheaply would have contradicted everything that project stands for.
Martinez made his position clear. He was prepared to accept a wage reduction and committed to the move. For a player of his standing, that willingness is not something clubs take for granted.
The pattern of Juventus’ summer is telling. Alisson Becker was the first choice; Liverpool refused to sell. Martinez was the pivot; the Villans refused to discount. At every turn, the Turin club have found Premier League sides unwilling to accommodate their budget. That pattern reflects a side whose ambitions this summer have consistently outrun their resources.
The appeal of Emi Martinez to Juventus was never purely about shot-stopping. Dibu dominates penalty shootouts, commands his box aggressively and gives Villa a psychological edge that is genuinely difficult to replace. At 33, he is not a player the Midlands club are managing towards the exit. He is central to what Emery is building.
With the deal fading, Juventus have turned to Tottenham Hotspur’s Guglielmo Vicario as the more straightforward alternative. The Italian goalkeeper, who joined Spurs from Empoli in 2023, is younger, cheaper and would require significantly less negotiation. For a club operating within tight financial parameters, that practicality matters.
Vicario solves a position. What Juventus were really chasing with Martinez was something harder to budget for: a goalkeeper who shifts the dynamic of a dressing room and unsettles opponents before a ball is kicked. Their budget made that distinction academic.
For Villa, the window remains open until 1 September 2026. If Juventus return with a serious offer, the conversation will look different. Until then, the Villans have demonstrated something useful: that they will not be pressured into a sale that does not serve them. At this level, that clarity of purpose is worth more than most transfer coups.
