Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez has emerged as a leading contender to become Tottenham's new goalkeeper, with the World Cup winner having previously revealed the pain of his time with arch-rivals Arsenal.
TyC Sports report that Martinez could be subject to interest from three of the Premier League's biggest clubs this summer, with Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham all said to be on the hunt for a new goalkeeper. However, it is the links to Spurs which stand out due to his long affiliation to the Gunners.
Martinez, 30, spent eight years at Arsenal, with just 38 appearances in all competitions to show for his time at the club but has now become an established name in world football. This is primarily through his performances with Argentina, with a starring role in a Copa America win before becoming a hero in the World Cup final penalty shootout against France.
Having joined Aston Villa in 2020, he has become a consistent performer in the Midlands, and is now being linked to one of the Premier League's biggest clubs, with Tottenham on the hunt for a new goalkeeper. Hugo Lloris will leave the club this summer and a new 'keeper is expected to arrive, with Jordan Pickford also a potential option.
Martinez could arrive with a point to prove after struggling to make an impact on his first spell in North London with Arsenal. He arrived at the Gunners in 2012, but had to endure a series of loan moves and revealed his difficulties back in 2021.
"I don't think you prepare for not playing," he said about his time at Arsenal. "I always thought I had the talent but at some stage in my career when I was 22, 23 and I wasn't playing, I went on my first loan to Spain, I played only six games.
"Then I knew I would have to go back to Arsenal and they wouldn't give me a chance, so I would have to go on loan, so those years were really difficult, at some point I stopped loving football.
Would Martinez be a good signing for Tottenham? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
"That was something I was worried about, I told my wife, 'I know I'm not playing but I've stopped watching football games,' so it wasn't an easy place to be."
Martinez had loans with Oxford United, Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham, Wolves and Getafe before a move to Reading changed his career. He explained: "Then I went on loan again to Reading in the Championship, a league which I didn't want to be in."
It was his performances with the Royals which spurred on a revival in his career, keeping the Berkshire club safe from relegation with a series of inspired performances. His return to Arsenal was a success, with an injury to Bernd Leno providing an opportunity to take the number one shirt.
This was a chance he took with both hands as he won the FA Cup in 2020, playing from the start as Arsenal beat Chelsea to win their first, and so far only, major trophy under Mikel Arteta, though Martinez was still deemed surplus to requirements and sold to Aston Villa.
His contract with Villa runs until 2027 and Tottenham would likely have to stump up a significant fee to land Martinez, who was recognised as the best goalkeeper in the world at FIFA's Best awards earlier this year.
