Chelsea Considers Emi Martinez as Pressure Mounts on Sanchez

Chelsea have sounded out the camp of Emiliano Martinez as they weigh up a move for the Aston Villa and Argentina goalkeeper, with pressure quietly building around Robert Sanchez’s position at Stamford Bridge.

Martinez, 33, is regarded as available for transfer after Villa brought in Japan international Zion Suzuki from Parma for around £30m earlier this month. That signing has opened the door for fresh negotiations between two clubs who have grown used to dealing with each other.

Their relationship is already one of the most active in the Premier League. Chelsea smashed their transfer record to land forward Morgan Rogers from Villa for £117m, while Alejandro Garnacho went the other way on an initial loan. Defender Ian Maatsen also joined Villa in a deal widely labelled a “PSR swap”, with Omari Kellyman heading to Chelsea before moving on to Strasbourg.

Now another piece could move on the board. Nicolas Jackson, valued at about £65m, is a candidate to reunite with former boss Unai Emery at Villa, adding another layer to a complex web of potential business between the clubs.

Martinez has been on the market before this summer. Juventus tried to sign the World Cup winner earlier in the window, only for the move to collapse over concerns about a finger injury. The Italian side pivoted and instead took Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario on loan.

Chelsea’s interest comes as questions grow over Sanchez, the current number one. In the opening Premier League game at Fulham, he was beaten at his near post by Josh King’s angled strike, then spilled another effort into a dangerous area, allowing Gonzalo Garcia to score. Chelsea still escaped Craven Cottage with a 3-2 win, but the errors stuck in the memory.

Manager Xavi Alonso publicly backed Sanchez after that match and again tried to cool the debate when asked about his keeper before Thursday night’s Carabao Cup tie against Luton Town at Stamford Bridge.

No, (we have had) normal conversations,” Alonso said. “We have talked more about the team thing, about what we did well and what we have to do better.

It was more about understanding the context. Every game is going to be important because we are in this process that we still need to develop things, we need to make adjustments that are more team-related.

Behind Sanchez, though, another option is pushing into view. Mike Penders, who returned in the summer after a successful loan at Strasbourg, is in line to feature in the cup and could stake a claim of his own.

Asked about Penders’ chances, Alonso replied: “He's in the squad, so he has an opportunity.

We will decide and give the team to the players tomorrow, so I prefer to expect that they know first.

Chelsea now stand at a crossroads in goal: double down on Sanchez, promote from within with Penders, or move decisively for Martinez and reshape the hierarchy in one bold stroke.