DONE DEAL: Aston Villa Sign £12m Shot Stopper & Penalty Guru as Martínez agrees sound £35m from EPL side

Caoimhin Kelleher could be set to replace Emiliano Martínez between the sticks at Aston Villa.

 

Unai Emery’s side still have a chance to qualify for the UEFA Champions League if they can beat Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday (25 May).

That could make keeping hold of some of their big-name stars a little easier this summer.

 

However, Aston Villa’s financial struggles mean a high-profile player is likely to be sold regardless of whether the West Midlands outfit qualify for the Champions League, and Martínez could be that player.

Aston Villa join the hunt to sign Kelleher from Liverpool

Martínez has been widely linked with an Aston Villa exit, with Manchester United having already made an offer [Sébastien Vidal]

 

The goalkeeper appeared to wave goodbye to Villa Park after the Villans beat Tottenham 2-0 in the Premier League on Friday (16 May).

If Martínez does leave, a replacement will be needed, and it appears Aston Villa are keen on Liverpool shot-stopper Kelleher, who has also been linked with Chelsea and West Ham [The Sun].

 

The 26-year-old is rated at £30million. However, ex-Villa scout Bryan King – speaking exclusively to Villa News – believes a deal could be struck for much less.

“However, for me, he isn’t the replacement for Martínez. If you want to replace Martínez, you’ve got to sign a number one choice goalkeeper.

 

“Martínez is a World Cup winner and a very good goalkeeper. At the end of the day, Kelleher is a second-choice goalkeeper who isn’t good enough to take over from Alisson. If Villa are going to replace Martínez, they need a high-profile, experienced goalkeeper.

Martínez could make final Villa appearance v Man Utd

If Martínez is going to leave this summer, he at least has the chance to end his time at Villa on a high by helping the Birmingham-based side to once again qualify for the Champions League.

 

A clean sheet at Old Trafford would be the perfect way to say goodbye.

 

Replacing Martínez won’t be easy. However, Kelleher has shown plenty of quality when he has played for Liverpool, and his limited appearances have simply been a result of Alisson’s brilliance.

 

Martínez was the backup for a long time at Arsenal before establishing himself as one of the world’s best at Villa Park. Therefore, at the age of 26, there is no reason why Kelleher wouldn’t be able to do the same.