Emi Martinez

[LeeB]

Like has been mentioned before, perhaps he just wants a change before he winds down his career. He's only really played for us and Arsenal, so we're the only decent place he's ever lived and worked. Who can blame him for wanting to experience living and working in a different culture while he can?

Also, he probably really likes lasagne.

He gets to choose any Fiat he likes.

[TopDeck113]

As a World Cup winner with Argentina I doubt that’ll be too much of an issue for him.

Indeed.  In When Saturday Comes' World Cup preview, they asked fans of competing countries a series of questions, one of which was which players were the face of advertising campaigns.  The Argentinian contributor said that after Messi,  Emi is the go to member of the squad and endorses all manner of products.  I doubt his nest needs much feathering.

[PeterWithesShin]

If he is after exposure then CL football and playing in the most popular league in the world will do more than playing in the Europa in a second rate league.

[pauliewalnuts]

Maybe he just wants another life experience. He’s been in the UK a very long time now. Maybe he wants to experience another league and country.

If that’s what he wants then Juventus is not a bad place to go.

Re Turin perhaps he just wants to experience life in an unglamorous, historically somewhat austere city with a historic association with the motor industry.

Oh…

[adrenachrome]

I note in passing that Lionel Messi plays for Inter Miami CF.

[Dave]

I note in passing that Lionel Messi plays for Inter Miami CF.

Reckon if he were out of contract he'd be there in a flash. But they're not paying us a big transfer fee.

[john e]

Maybe he just wants another life experience. He’s been in the UK a very long time now. Maybe he wants to experience another league and country.

If that’s what he wants then Juventus is not a bad place to go.

Re Turin perhaps he just wants to experience life in an unglamorous, historically somewhat austere city with a historic association with the motor industry.

Oh…

I agree
I think if he does move it will be for a change of scenery

[AV82EC]

I’d concur with this thought process as well. If I was a professional footballer at that level I’d have wanted to go abroad to either France, Italy or Germany to experience a different lifestyle and culture. The only difficulty for him is there aren’t many clubs willing to pay the money we’d want for him. I’m sure many of them can offer the wages money, the sticking point is the £25+ mill we’d want for him.

[Tuscans]

NEW: Aston Villa have lowered their request from €15m to a base of €6/7m for Emi Martínez — first contacts between clubs have taken place.
@DiMarzio

[Ozzjim]

I just don't buy it. He's still one of the best in the business. He's worth every penny of 25-30 million.

[Crown Hill]

Bizarre when Brighton say Rushworth would cost Coventry 30 million! 

[Matt C]

Just don’t see how we replace him given the constraints. He’s worth way more to us than his apparent market value.

[PaulWinch again]

NEW: Aston Villa have lowered their request from €15m to a base of €6/7m for Emi Martínez — first contacts between clubs have taken place.
@DiMarzio

Don’t buy that - if that’s true it’s fucking bananas. It’s not just his ability - he is one of the few elite players we have. It’s also his mentality.

[Dante Lavelli]

We must have some sort of gentleman's agreement that he can leave otherwise it makes no sense.  He's not *that* old in goalkeeper terms.  Any replacement will cost £40m and want £100k week. 

The maths isn't mathsing.

[LeeB]

We must have some sort of gentleman's agreement that he can leave otherwise it makes no sense.  He's not *that* old in goalkeeper terms.  Any replacement will cost £40m and want £100k week. 

The maths isn't mathsing.

In particular for us, the club where the maths have to math more than anywhere else it seems.