Aston Villa make transfer decision on Emi Martinez after new bid as Unai Emery nears £30m deal

Aston Villa have reportedly reached an agreement with Parma to sign former Paris Saint-Germain target Zion Suzuki, potentially paving the way for an Emiliano Martinez exit.

Unai Emery’s team had Marco Bizot in goal for their UEFA Super Cup loss to the French giants earlier this week, with Martinez given an extended break after reaching the World Cup final with Argentina.

Despite being Villa‘s undisputed first-choice stopper since 2020, the 33-year-old may not be the force he once was for the West Midlands outfit.

Martinez looked like he would end his stay at Villa Park in 2025 when he waved what looked like a tearful goodbye to the home faithful.

But a switch to Manchester United never came and now it seems Emery‘s Villa are prepared to flog the former Arsenal keeper, who has had loans spells at Oxford United, Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham United, Wolves, Getafe, and Reading.

This summer, Villa have turned their attention to Japanese international Suzuki, who impressed for his country at the 2026 World Cup.

The 23-year-old, however, looked set to join back-to-back Champions League winners PSG, only for the move to collapse at the 11th hour.

Now, Villa have swung into action, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein.

Aston Villa close in on Suzuki after Juventus approach for Martinez

He states that Villa have reached an agreement with Serie A outfit Parma to sign him on a five-year deal until 2031.

The package for the Japanese – who is said to have informed the Italian outfit that he wants to head to Villa – is worth an initial £25.6m, with potential bonuses bringing that up to £30m.

This comes at a time when Villa have received a new bid from Juventus for Martinez and although there is a gap in their respective valuations, it is ‘narrowing’.

The Italian giants reportedly want to pay an initial £6m for the Argentine in a total package worth up to £8.5m.

Villa, on the other hand, want £8.5m guaranteed up front, although a ‘compromise’ could yet be struck for a player who still has just under three years left on his current deal.

The report adds that Villa have tracked the former Sint-Truiden player, who was born in Newark in New Jersey to a Ghanian father and a Japanese mother, for two years.

The 6ft 3in stopper will have big shoes to fill if he replaces Martinez, who has twice been named the world’s number one goalkeeper at the prestigious Ballon d’Or awards.

But it seems now may be the right time for Martinez and Villa to go their separate ways.