Martinez is eighth Chelsea-Villa deal in four years
August 30, 2026 08:51
Chelsea have completed the signing of Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez from Aston Villa for £7.5m on a three-year contract. Martínez, a 33-year-old World Cup winner in 2022, had joined Villa in 2020 and made 256 appearances for them, including helping them lift the Europa League last season.
The move is the eighth transfer between Chelsea and Villa since the summer of 2022, following Nicolas Jackson’s switch to Villa last week and several earlier deals between the clubs.
KEY CONTEXT
The recent flurry of transfers between the two clubs began after the BlueCo ownership group bought Chelsea in 2022. That window saw Carney Chukwuemeka join Chelsea from Villa for £20m, and further moves have included Ian Maatsen (£37.5m to Villa), Omari Kellyman (£19m to Chelsea) and Axel Disasi on loan (reported £5m loan fee to Villa). This summer added Morgan Rogers (to Chelsea), Alejandro Garnacho (to Villa on loan with a conditional obligation to buy), Jackson and now Martínez.
BBC Sport’s tally, limited to clubs continuously in the Premier League since 2022, shows Chelsea and Villa have exchanged more players with one another than any other pair in that four-year span. Chelsea have paid Villa a reported £163.5m for players since 2022; Villa’s outlay on Chelsea players is listed as £102.5m so far, a total that could rise to £150.5m if the conditions on Garnacho’s loan are met. Club executives elsewhere in the league have raised questions about the volume of links between the two clubs, although BBC Sport reports there is no suggestion that either side has breached any rules.
WHY IT MATTERS
The pattern highlights a close and sustained transfer relationship between two top-flight clubs, coinciding with Chelsea’s significant squad turnover under new ownership. The scale of transactions matters for competitive balance and for financial oversight: UEFA has the capacity to examine transfers completed between the same clubs within a 45-day window, and some of the recent moves fall within that timeframe. At the same time, Chelsea and Villa maintain that their dealings have been legitimate; the clubs’ owners have also been reported to communicate directly over transfers, which helps explain the volume of business.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
- Whether the conditional elements of Alejandro Garnacho’s loan are fulfilled; if they are, the total paid by Villa for Chelsea players would increase toward the reported £150.5m figure. Chelsea have said they believe those conditions are easily met.
- Any response or formal scrutiny from UEFA under its rules about transfers completed between the same clubs within a 45-day period; Garnacho’s loan occurred two days after Morgan Rogers signed for Chelsea, and Jackson’s permanent transfer followed 38 days after the Rogers move. BBC Sport notes that the timing alone does not prove the deals were related.
- How Martínez settles into Chelsea and whether further moves will continue the run of business between the two clubs.
KEY FACTS
- Emiliano Martínez moved from Aston Villa to Chelsea for £7.5m on a three-year deal; he made 256 appearances for Villa after joining in 2020.
- This is the eighth transfer between Chelsea and Villa since summer 2022 — the most exchanges between any two Premier League clubs in that period.