Revealed: Aston Villa's stance on Emi Martinez as Juventus eye move

Villa are expected to stand firm over Emi Martinez amid continued interest in the goalkeeper from Juventus. Reports in Italy claim the Serie A club have finally approached Villa to formally enquire about signing the World Cup winner. But it is understood Villa currently have no interest in negotiating Martinez’s sale. Their overwhelming preference is for the 34-year-old to remain as their No.1 next season. At the very least, the club will not consider any offers which fall below their valuation of a player who has been an integral part of their rise under manager Unai Emery. Martinez has made 255 appearances since joining Villa from Arsenal for £20million six years ago. During that time, he has won the World Cup with Argentina and twice been awarded the Lev Yashin Trophy after being voted the best goalkeeper in the world. Martinez came close to leaving Villa last summer after receiving strong interest from Manchester United. But a deal failed to materialise and the keeper was quickly reintegrated back into the team by Emery, going on to again prove his worth in Villa’s best season for at least three decades, which culminated in a fourth-placed Premier League finish and glory in the Europa League. Villa have scouted other keepers while preparing for the possibility Martinez could leave this summer. But as things stand, the plan is for him to stay on board. Martinez is currently away with Argentina at the World Cup with their next match a quarter-final against Switzerland, which takes place in the early hours of Sunday morning UK time. Juventus chief executive, Giovanni Carnevali, publicly confirmed their interest in signing him earlier this week but also acknowledged the price may prove prohibitive. The Italian club have other targets, including Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario. Carnevali said: “We need to evaluate things carefully, especially right now, given that the valuations for some players are excessively high - unrealistic figures.” Villa’s focus for the transfer window is largely centred around strengthening in attacking areas, though they will now also consider recruiting a midfielder following the long-term injury sustained by Amadou Onana while playing for Belgium at the World Cup. The club once again faces a balancing act due to Uefa’s financial fair play rules. Morgan Rogers remains a target for both Arsenal and Chelsea, though the midfielder’s future will not be resolved, either way, until after the tournament.