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WHO WILL REPLACE EMI MARTINEZ? THREE KEEPERS ASTON VILLA COULD SIGN WITH THAT £40M WINDFALL

Aston Villa set a £40m price tag for Emi Martinez. Discover why Unai Emery is ready to sell the World Cup winner this January.

Who will replace Emi Martinez? Three keepers Aston Villa could sign with that £40m windfall
Emi Martinez’s decline vs. his £40m market valuation

Villa already sold Donyell Malen to Roma for £25 million this window. They’ve brought in Alysson and Brian Madjo, but honestly, it’s pretty obvious they care more about selling players right now.

That probably means more exits from Unai Emery’s squad before the window closes. Martinez, their first-choice keeper, could be one of them. There’s talk that Villa have already set a price for him.

Aston Villa want £40 million for Emi Martinez. According to Football Insider, if Martinez leaves in January, that’s the number Villa are holding out for. They’re open to offers and might actually let him go if someone meets their asking price.

Emery seems willing to part with his “world-class” goalkeeper if the right offer comes in, especially since Martinez hasn’t been at his sharpest this season. Nobody really knows who’d replace him if he left, but that’s a problem for later.

Still, Martinez is one of the best keepers in the Premier League—maybe even the world. He just racked up his 200th Premier League appearance when Villa beat Newcastle 2-0 on Sunday, pulling them within four points of the title race.

He’ll turn 34 at the start of next season, though, and if Villa get £40 million for a World Cup winner, that’s a huge deal. They could use that money to bring in someone younger and start building for the future.

Martinez is the classic late bloomer. He spent most of his twenties out of the spotlight, which worked out perfectly for Villa. He only joined them at 28, after making just 71 league appearances for Arsenal and a handful of loan spells at clubs like Oxford United, Rotherham, and Reading. His real breakthrough came at Arsenal during lockdown.

He helped Arsenal win the FA Cup in 2020, and Villa jumped at the chance to sign him. That move kick-started his path to becoming a World Cup winner, all thanks to his performances in a Villa shirt.

CONOR GALLAGHER CONFIRMED AS "VITAL" STARTER FOR SPURS FOLLOWING BENTANCUR’S INJURY LAYOFF

Conor Gallagher proved the doubters wrong against Man City. Discover why his €40m move to Tottenham is finally paying off for Spurs.

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Conor Gallagher secured first Spurs assist as Tottenham snatched a point at City

Chelsea and Atletico Madrid both decided Conor Gallagher wasn’t worth the trouble. At Chelsea, he had his moments—Pochettino liked him, but the fans never really warmed up. When Chelsea shipped him off to Atletico, it made sense. Enzo Fernandez stepped up, took over Gallagher’s role, and fit in perfectly next to Caicedo, with Cole Palmer adding that extra spark up front.

Things didn’t get much better for Gallagher in Spain. He barely got a chance at Atleti, lost his spot in the starting eleven, and pretty much ended up on the transfer list before anyone had time to blink. Interest was lukewarm at best until the winter window rolled around. Aston Villa wanted him and went after him pretty aggressively, but then Tottenham swooped in late. Spurs needed someone to patch up the midfield after Bentancur’s injury, so they just paid up—40 million euros, no hesitation.

His start at Tottenham? Rough. Honestly, that was to be expected. He’d played well at Palace before, but after his struggles at Atleti, he needed time to adjust. Sitting on the bench in Spain didn’t do him any favours.

Then Gallagher showed up. People doubted whether he could really add creativity and move the ball forward for Spurs, so his early struggles got people worried. But then came the 2-2 draw against Manchester City. He suddenly looked like the player both Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank were so desperate to sign.

Against City, Gallagher flipped the script. He set up a crucial assist, drove play forward on the dribble, and kept drawing fouls—everything the Spurs needed. Defensively, he was all over the place in a good way: two tackles, three interceptions, a full 90 minutes, and a huge part of the Spurs clawing their way back into the game.

Tottenham fans loved it. They saw the effort, the attitude, and the hunger to win. Gallagher just wouldn’t quit, and in that second half, he, Xavi Simons, Pape Matar Sarr, Destiny Udogie, and Dominic Solanke ran the show. Four of those guys have been carrying Spurs lately, so Gallagher is fitting right in with them. That’s a pretty good sign he’s going to work out just fine in North London.

AC MILAN MEDICAL FAILURE: THE HIDDEN KNEE INJURY THAT CRUSHED MATETA’S £30M MOVE

Jean-Philippe Mateta's £30m move to AC Milan is OFF. Discover why a failed medical has put his France World Cup dreams in jeopardy.

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Mateta’s "dream move" suddenly turned toxic.

Jean Philippe-Mateta’s got a real headache right now. The Crystal Palace striker just watched his £30 million dream move to AC Milan blow up at the last minute, all because a knee problem showed up during his medical.

The thing is, Mateta’s been carrying this injury for a while. Now he’s stuck: should he go under the knife and try to recover in time for the World Cup? He wants to make the France squad this summer, but nothing’s guaranteed. Even if he has surgery, there’s no telling if he’ll be fit enough—or have enough time on the pitch—to convince Didier Deschamps he deserves a spot.

The injury’s been dragging him down anyway. It’s messing with his form and his game time, and he’s worried he won’t get a real shot at proving himself for France if he isn’t at his best.

It’s tough because he’s coming off a fantastic year at Palace. FA Cup winner, big goals, helped the club reach Europe—it’s been a dream run. But now he might have to go back to Selhurst Park, even though he’s made it clear he’s had enough and wants out.

Honestly, it feels like only a matter of time before he leaves. His contract runs out next summer, and Palace can’t risk losing him for nothing. They’ve already watched Marc Guehi go to Man City for a bargain, just because his deal was running down.

Now Mateta has to sit down with Palace and the doctors to figure out what to do about his knee. Surgery would sideline him for months, probably killing his World Cup chances.

He’s gutted about Milan falling through, especially after Juventus cooled their interest and Nottingham Forest had an offer turned down. Over the weekend, he even unfollowed Palace on Instagram and posted a fed-up emoji. No one really knows if he’ll even make the squad for the Brighton game.

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