Chelsea considering late move for Villa’s Martinez

Chelsea are considering a late move for Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez. 

The Argentina international’s representatives have offered Martinez to Chelsea.

Chelsea’s current No 1 goalkeeper Robert Sanchez came under criticism after his error in Monday’s win at Fulham.

Martinez needs to find a new club after Villa signed Zion Suzuki from Parma for nearly £30m.

Argentina’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper was the subject of interest from Juventus but they chose to sign Guglielmo Vicario from Spurs.

WATCH: Chelsea GK Sanchez’s two mistakes vs Fulham

Merson: Martinez is one of the best goalkeepers in the world

Sky Sports’ Paul Merson:

Martinez is available and he can be hard work sometimes. He comes across like that. But he’s one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

And if Chelsea want to get back to being one of the best in the world, you’ve got to have a top goalkeeper.

Robert Sanchez is usually a good shot stopper. This weekend, or against Arsenal at the Emirates in two weeks’ time, he could be mind-blowing. He could make save after save after save and you’ll sit there and go: ‘Wow.’ He could save Chelsea next week.

I don’t like picking on goalkeepers because it’s a hard job – and you make one mistake for every 50 mistakes the outfield players make with their passing.

But the match against Fulham was another game that he brought the other team back in the game.

At 1-0 you were looking at it and thinking this is going to be three or four. But he lets in a cheap goal and all of a sudden the game has turned on its head really. It looked like Fulham were the team that were going to get the next goal.

I’ve never known a team ever win anything without a top goalie. I’m sitting there now thinking when was the last time David Raya made a mistake.

The Wolves game in February maybe? But once. In February.

Sanchez makes one mistake a week nearly. And a goal may not come from it, he might kick the ball out for a throw-in.

Against Fulham, Chelsea were dominating, he takes a great catch from a corner and he plays a terrible throw out to Cole Palmer. That happens week in, week out. And the ball could be intercepted, the ball goes back into the box and the opposition score out of nothing.

But I don’t think Martinez takes Chelsea towards the title. You look at Arsenal’s squad and if you change a player, it hardly weakens the team. Every position is solid.

If you look at Chelsea, they’ve got a lot of players in each position, but it weakens the team. The name of the game for Chelsea is to make sure when this season finishes, they are playing Champions League football next season. It’s as simple as that.

They came 10th last season. And you’ve got to learn to walk before you can run.