Transfer deadline day has been and gone but the possibility remains for Aston Villa to sign a new goalkeeper on a free transfer, according to reports.
Villa’s goalkeeper situation is far from ideal and a long way from being resolved. Emiliano Martínez has been the subject of intense speculation but his preferred move to Manchester United didn’t come about because they were never really that bothered about signing him.
The Argentine was absent as Villa were beaten by Crystal Palace on Sunday and the fact that he remains at the club is now seen by some supporters as a liability rather than a benefit.
Martínez apparently thought he was on the verge of a move to Old Trafford on Monday but Ruben Amorim was apparently a minority voice in favour of the Villa goalkeeper before United opted instead to invest in Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens from Antwerp.
The unwanted World Cup winner turned down a late offer to switch to Galatasaray in Turkey and ended deadline day as a Villa player who had fundamentally damaged his standing with the fans – though not all of them, by any means – and who apparently isn’t beloved in the dressing room either.
What happens now isn’t clear. Reintegration into the squad might be difficult but necessary and supporters are disunited when it comes to their willingness to forgive his perceived transgressions, not least letting his teammates down on Sunday by choice or instruction.
There’s every chance he wins back some affection with good performances. Silverware wouldn’t hurt either. But there’s also no guarantee that the relationship between the goalkeeper, his teammates, his manager and the supporters can ever be fully mended.
While there have been calls for Martínez to be exiled, Villa’s lack of a second new goalkeeper signing would in that situation leave them with Marco Bizot as the only realistic choice in goal – not ideal in terms of reliable quality or depth.
Villa still have another course of action. There are goalkeepers available on free transfers who wouldn’t be the ideal first choice for Emery but could be the only answer in a highly unsatisfactory circumstance.
If Martínez’s bridges are burned, a free agent is the only way now to expedite his departure to Turkey or Saudi Arabia, whose transfer windows are still open. Martínez has reportedly indicated that he has no intention of taking either route.
Former Sporting CP, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Roma goalkeeper Rui Patrício is currently without a club and the veteran could be considered as an emergency alternative. Ex-Arsenal and West Ham United man Łukasz Fabiański and Mexican Guillermo Ochoa are also available but on the wrong side of 40.
We don’t know the ins and outs of Emery’s relationship with his goalkeeper or his willingness to reintegrate Martínez but if the times are desperate, the measures must be desperate too.
37-year-old Rui Patrício played most recently for Al Ain, with whom he’d agreed a short-term deal to play at the Club World Cup in the United States this summer. He has vast experience in major leagues but is obviously past his peak and is no longer first choice for Portugal.
He was one of the key players in Wolves’ run to the Europa League quarter-finals in 2019/20 and helped Roma win the 2021/22 Conference League, reaching the final of the Europa League with the Giallorossi the following season.
The EURO 2016 winner featured in six games for Atalanta last season before the end of his one-year deal and his brief stint with Al Ain.
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