In the first week of August, Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso—publicly at least—seemed plenty satisfied with the goalkeeper options at his disposal this season.
Fast forward to the end of the month and the looming transfer deadline, the Blues have reportedly reached a verbal agreement to sign Argentina No. 1 Emiliano Martínez from Aston Villa. The 33-year-old goalkeeper gave the go-ahead to the west London side on Wednesday before the two Premier League clubs hashed out terms on Thursday, which include a fee worth $10.2 million (£7.5 million) for a permanent move.
