Aston Villa have now opened talks with the agents of a goalkeeper, who’s in red-hot form, amid doubts surrounding Emiliano Martinez’s future.
Martinez's Villa future up in the air after failed Man Utd move
Martinez was widely expected to leave Villa in the summer, with it being revealed that he wanted to join Manchester United, but the Argentina international ultimately ended up staying put, and has since been reintroduced to the squad.
Indeed, the 33-year-old, who is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, has started the last four Premier League matches, during which time the Villans are undefeated, having won their last four games on the spin in all competitions.
However, the goalkeeper’s future remains up in the air, with Ruben Amorim personally requesting that Man United sign him in the January transfer window, which means Unai Emery may be tasked with bringing in a replacement.
According to a report from WinWin (via Sports View), Aston Villa have now made their first approach to sign a new goalkeeper, having opened talks with the agents of AS Monaco goalkeeper Yanis Benchaouch-Marty.
Villa are making contingency plans, in case Martinez departs next summer, and Benchaouch-Marty has caught their eye, having recently impressed for national side Morocco, guiding them to the semi-finals of the Under-20 World Cup following a fantastic display against South Korea.
Emery’s side are expected to make moves to sign the 19-year-old once the tournament ends, with Morocco U20s set to take on France U20s in the semi-final this evening.
Benchaouch-Marty could be long-term Martinez heir
The AS Monaco youngster has certainly put himself in the shop window with some of his performances at the U20 World Cup, perhaps most notably putting in a fantastic display in Morocco’s statement 2-1 victory against Brazil.
The Moroccan came very close to keeping a clean sheet, with Brazil scoring a 92nd-minute penalty, which ultimately ended up being nothing more than a consolation, but he still achieved a 8.6 SofaScore match rating, the highest of any player on the pitch.
Statistic
Number completed
Saves from inside the box
4
High claims
1
Long balls (accurate)
12 (7)
Accurate passes
32/37 (86%)
The teenager is showing signs he could be a long-term heir for Martinez, but the young goalkeeper is clearly still in the infancy of his career, given that he is still yet to make a senior appearance for AS Monaco.
As such, Emery will be hoping his current first-choice goalkeeper sticks round a little while longer, potentially as a mentor for Benchaouch-Marty, and Villa are currently under no pressure to cash-in, with Martinez under contract until the summer of 2029.