Emiliano Martinez - World Cup winner and officially best keeper in the world

[pauliewalnuts]

That's not great, is it?

[VILLA MOLE]

Well we would get a good fee for him  so potentially looking for 2,keepers in the summer ☹️

[pauliewalnuts]

I'd much rather have the player than the money.

[VILLA MOLE]

I'd much rather have the player than the money.

oh i know , just trying to prepare myself for positivity 😳

[PaulWinch again]

That's not great, is it?

Yep not surprising but not good.

[Ian.]

Is that the first signs of a summer move? If so there can’t be too many teams who will be able to afford him?

[Sexual Ealing]

The quotes are from a cover piece with France Football, out tomorrow.
https://twitter.com/FlorentTorchut/status/1624117358334816257

[PaulWinch again]

The good thing is we showed him in January we are full of ambition…

[Billy Walker]

Glass half full people will focus on him wanting to win a trophy with Villa, glass half empty will focus on his wanting Champions League asap.  I wouldn't be surprised if we offered him a big new deal and he stayed with us but I also wouldn't be surprised if we chose to cash in while his stock is high (I could see his pal Messi possibly trying to engineer a move for him to PSG). 

There's plenty of thinking to be done for all parties over the the next few months - as long as Villa come out of it all positively, I'm happy.

[KevinGage]

It's too soon to be thinking about Europe etc.

If that's the vibe at the club (to chime with the views of some of our fanbase) I'd be thinking of an exit strategy as well.

[brontebilly]

Is that the first signs of a summer move? If so there can’t be too many teams who will be able to afford him?

He's miles better than the current keepers at Man United, Chelsea and Spurs for starters - current or likely CL teams. Affordability doesn't seem a problem for the first two. Of course we would all want him to stay but we have to be realistic too..After the WC his profile has never been higher.

[Villan82]

The two things I despise most about modern football are both linked.

1. Cheating clubs like Man City who fiddle the books and buy success.
2. Players who have no loyalty to the clubs that make them superstars. Since 1998 we'd have won trophies if a few of the players we actually made proper stars of had shown us some damn loyalty and given us a couple of extra seasons.

[KevinGage]

He owes us nothing, really.

This isn't a Paul McGrath or Stewart Downing scenario where he arrives with question marks over his fitness or a flat out crocked and we rehabilitate him.

Emi had just broken into the Arsenal first team and had won the FA Cup when we moved for him. He might not have been a guaranteed starter there, but there's every chance he could've made the number 1 position his own.

We sold the club to him on the basis of aiming for Europe (which is what he said shortly after joining). Nearly three years on we're not a whole pile closer to achieving that.

He didn't grow up as a fan of the club (not that that's stopped other herbets who think the grass is greener) so unless we're showing genuine signs of kicking on, we will get this shit.

For all that, I prefer to read it as he believes he's good enough to play CL now (and win it) rather than he's looking to move ASAP. He won't have made the progress he has since 2020 if he didn't back himself.

[PaulWinch again]

Yep and it’s why we can’t appear to be stagnating. We won’t keep or attract quality players if we’re not showing we’re ambitious.

[Meanwood Villa]

The quotes are from a cover piece with France Football, out tomorrow.
https://twitter.com/FlorentTorchut/status/1624117358334816257

Wonder if a Villa badge has ever been on the front of that magazine before