Emi Martinez has signed a new long-term deal with Aston Villa, tying him to the club until 2029.
As a result, he has been doing a series of interviews, one of which involved him commenting on Aaron Ramsdale‘s situation at Arsenal and possibly giving away his next club.
Every Arsenal fan knows that Emi Martinez has somewhat rewritten his history at Arsenal to portray himself as a victim. The truth, no matter how he tells it, is that he had 10 years and three managers to impress enough to be handed the number one shirt and failed to do it (four if you could Freddie Ljungberg).
Martinez joined Arsenal’s academy in 2010 and spent much of his early years on loan at various clubs. He played as a backup goalkeeper for most of his time at Arsenal, often behind Wojciech Szczęsny, Petr Čech, and Bernd Leno.
Martinez eventually got his breakthrough during the 2019-20 season when Leno was injured, stepping up and playing a key role in Arsenal’s FA Cup and Community Shield victories.
However, seeking regular first-team football and not having his demands met at Arsenal, he moved to Aston Villa in 2020 for £20 million, where he quickly became their first-choice keeper and earned international recognition with Argentina.
Speaking to The Mirror after signing his new deal, Martinez was asked about Ramsdale’s situation at Arsenal.
Ramsdale joined Arsenal in 2021 from Sheffield United for around £24 million.
Initially met with scepticism, he quickly established himself as Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper, earning praise for his shot-stopping, distribution, and commanding presence.
Ramsdale played a crucial role in Arsenal’s strong performances in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.
However, in 2023, Arsenal signed David Raya on loan from Brentford with an option to buy, creating direct competition.
Due to his superior ball-playing abilities, Raya quickly took over starting duties, displacing Ramsdale as Ramsdale had displaced Leno, with Mikel Arteta seeking a more fluid style from the back.
“I think he’s in a different position to me… he signed for £32 million [sic], he was the No.1 for Arsenal – I never had a chance like that,” Martinez whinged.
“When you play every game in the Premier League and then you drop to the bench with the quality that Aaron has… I think he should find a place to play where he feels loved.
“I heard he might go to Wolves, which I think could be a good move for him. He still has a great future.”
Wolves have indeed been pushing to sign Ramsdale on loan with a £25m option to buy, but Arsenal prefer a permanent deal or a loan with a purchase obligation.
Arsenal have already rejected loan proposals from Wolves and Ajax, while Bournemouth and Southampton have shown interest without making formal offers.
Even if Arsenal do sanction a loan for Ramsdale, they are believed to be asking £6m as a loan fee.