Aston Villa have named two alternatives for the Manchester City star to replace their number one goalkeeper for their summer transfer.
This summer Aston Villa’s transfer business might be busy with one vital position, the goalkeeper. Their number one shot-stopper, Emiliano Martinez, could leave in the summer, as he has been linked with their rivals in the Premier League. Last summer, the Argentine had agreed to move to Manchester United before it was stalled in the last minute. Recently, he has been under the radar of Liverpool.
The Lions have been linked to Manchester City star James Trafford. However, they appear to have prepared the alternatives in case the citizens price out the English goalkeeper, as reported by Foot Mercato via getFrenchFootballnews.
“They (Aston Villa) have set their sights on two goalkeepers currently plying their trade in Ligue 1.”
Those two names are both still under 23 years old but have been the mainstay in their current teams, Lens’ Robin Risser and Toulouse’s Guillaume Restes. Are they proper successors for the experienced Emi Martinez? Let us find out.
The 21-year-old goalkeeper is one of the key men in Lens’s current positive campaign this season. Despite never playing as the first choice in the top flight, Risser has proved his top quality and helped his team sit on the top of the table for several weeks.
Risser has featured in 36 games in total this season with 12 clean sheets. According to the data in FotMob, the former Strasbourg man has made 77 saves this season, with a save percentage of 70 % and 33.3 % for the penalty save. His successful pass rate is also fine too, reaching up to 78.4%, and his accurate long ball rate is 43.5%.
He has yet to earn a call-up for France’s senior national team, but the goalie, who was loaned out to Dijon and Red Star FC in the lower division, is worth monitoring. His current value is £21.63 million, but his contract is stretched till summer 2030, the same as Trafford’s.
The Toulouse man is another alternative on Villa’s radar. He has been the first choice at the mid-table side since 2023. The 21-year-old shot stopper has made 107 appearances for his club, with 27 clean sheets.
Restes has yet to be called up for Les Bleus’ senior side, but he was already part of the France U23 team in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. He was the first choice under Thierry Henry’s team and featured in five games during the tournament as they only won a silver medal.
Based on the data in FotMob, he has made 84 saves this season with a save percentage of 65.1%. Restes seems to excel at the goalkeeper-sweeper role, as he has acted as a sweeper 18 times already this season.
Yet, his distribution rate is in need of improving, as his successful pass rate is only 66%, while his accurate long ball rate is only 37.4%. The shot stopper with Ivorian descent is currently valued at £15.57 million, with the contract expiring in 2028.
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