Emi Martinez: From Chelsea’s No.26 to No.1 in Record Time

Emi Martinez has been at Chelsea barely long enough to find his parking space, and he is already on to his second shirt number.

The Argentina international arrived from Aston Villa in a £7.5 million deal, walked straight into the team, pulled on the No.26 and helped Chelsea edge Brighton 4-3 in a wild debut at Stamford Bridge. It looked like the start of a new chapter wrapped in old symbolism.

Then the transfer window slammed shut, Robert Sanchez headed out on loan to Como on deadline day, and the most traditional jersey of them all suddenly lay empty. No.1 was free. Martinez did not hesitate.

From Terry’s 26 to Chelsea’s No.1

His first act on joining had been a nod to club royalty. Martinez specifically asked for John Terry’s old No.26, even checking in with the former captain before committing to it. He had worn 26 before on loan and liked the feel of it; at Stamford Bridge, it carried an extra weight.

"John was someone I spoke to before I joined, and he said he was over the moon to have me here," Martinez said. "The morning I signed, I texted him and said, 'I'm wearing your shirt, and I'm going to do it with pride'."

Terry did more than give his blessing. He championed the signing, calling Martinez a potential transfer of the summer and raving about the standards he sets.

"If I had the choice of any goalkeeper in the world, he would be right at the very top for me," Terry said. "We signed him at Aston Villa from Arsenal and he was unbelievable. The confidence he shows, the way he trains, the influence he had on a group of players, the mindset is incredible."

For Terry, the connection ran deeper than a number. He liked the way Martinez treats every goal conceded as a personal insult.

"He’s taking the 26 shirt, yes, we’ve given the green light," Terry said. "You know why? Because he loves keeping clean sheets as much as I did when I wore the 26 shirt."

That shared obsession briefly stitched the eras together. But the game moves quickly, and so do squad lists.

A swift upgrade and a rare club gesture

Sanchez’s late move to Como blew open the door to No.1, a shirt that still carries a certain hierarchy in any dressing room. Martinez stepped through it and Chelsea moved fast to make the change official.

The club also knew what it meant for supporters who had rushed to embrace the original story. Fans who bought a ‘Martinez 26’ shirt from the official megastore or website can bring it to Stamford Bridge, with proof of purchase, by October 4. The club will have it personally signed by their new first-choice goalkeeper.

It is a small but telling gesture: the narrative might have shifted, but those first few weeks, that first number, still count.

The end of 26’s restless spell

Since Terry retired, No.26 has become a restless shirt. Kalidou Koulibaly wore it briefly during his short stay in west London. Academy product Levi Colwill took it on for a season, then moved to No.6 as he grew into a central role in defence.

Martinez’s early switch underlines that 26 remains a difficult number to anchor long term, its legacy still looming large over anyone who dares to take it. The Argentine will now leave that history behind and step into a cleaner, more conventional identity: Chelsea’s No.1.

Arsenal away, and a twist of irony

The timing of the change adds a neat edge to what comes next. Martinez is set to make his first appearance in the No.1 shirt when Chelsea travel to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal, the club where he once wore 26 in north London.

He goes back as Chelsea’s undisputed starter, with Sanchez out on loan and his own status firmly established after that chaotic, confidence-building win over Brighton.

A former Arsenal keeper, once defined by 26, now walks into the Emirates as Chelsea’s No.1. The number on his back has changed twice in a matter of weeks. The message has not: this is his goal now.