Chelsea Sign Emiliano Martinez for £7.5m

Chelsea have signed Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez from Aston Villa for £7.5m on a three-year contract, marking the eighth transfer between the two clubs in the past four years.

The 33-year-old goalkeeper, who helped Argentina win the 2022 World Cup, becomes the latest player to move between the Premier League clubs in a relationship that has become one of the busiest in English football.

Martinez joined Aston Villa from Arsenal in 2020 and made 256 appearances for the club. He played a key role in Villa’s success last season as they won the Europa League.

The goalkeeper said he was excited about joining Chelsea and believed the move was the right decision for himself and his family.

“I’m delighted to be at this football club,” Martinez said.

“Coming to Chelsea, for me and my family, was an easy decision to make and I’m just over the moon – I can’t wait to get started.

‘I want to be successful here. I’m someone who wants to win at everything I do and I want to bring that here to this football club because it’s a football club that wins titles, so I think it’s a good match.”

Martinez’s move to Stamford Bridge comes just one week after Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson completed his transfer in the opposite direction.

The two clubs have now exchanged more players than any other pair of Premier League clubs through permanent and loan transfers over the past four years.

Their recent transfer relationship began in 2022, after Chelsea’s owners, BlueCo, took control of the club. Chelsea signed Carney Chukwuemeka from Villa for £20m that summer.

Since then, several other players have moved between the clubs. Ian Maatsen joined Villa for £37.5m, while Omari Kellyman moved to Chelsea for £19m. Axel Disasi also joined Villa on a loan deal worth £5m.

The level of business between the clubs has increased further this summer, with four deals completed between them.

Morgan Rogers moved to Chelsea for £117m, while Alejandro Garnacho joined Aston Villa on loan with a conditional obligation to buy in a deal worth about £43m.

Jackson then completed a £65m move to Villa before Martinez followed him to Chelsea.

Since 2022, Chelsea have paid Aston Villa £163.5m for players. Villa, meanwhile, have spent £102.5m on Chelsea players, including Disasi’s loan fee.

Villa’s spending on Chelsea players could rise to £150.5m if certain conditions are met for Garnacho’s loan to become permanent. Chelsea believe those conditions are easily achievable.

The clubs have a long history of doing business with each other. Tammy Abraham, Ross Barkley, Danny Drinkwater, Ryan Bertrand, Steve Sidwell and Andy Townsend are among the players who have moved between the clubs during the Premier League era. Former Chelsea captain John Terry also joined Villa after leaving Stamford Bridge.

However, the recent increase in transfers between the clubs has attracted attention from elsewhere in the Premier League.

Both Chelsea and Villa have had to operate within domestic and European financial regulations, and one source told BBC Sport that several club executives have questioned the frequency of their dealings.

There is, however, no suggestion that either Chelsea or Aston Villa has broken any rules.

BBC Sport has approached both clubs for comment.

Source: BBC Sports