Aston Villa Closing In On This Ligue 1 Goalkeeper: Important Signing For The Club? | OneFootball

If a recent report from The Athletic is believed to be true, Aston Villa are closing in on Marco Bizot amid uncertainties over Emiliano Martinez’s future. The Brest goalkeeper should travel next week to become the Lions’ second signing after Zepiqueno Redmond, who joined them as a free agent earlier this window.

The 34-year-old former Netherlands international progressed through Ajax’s academy ranks but never broke into their senior squad. After a season-long loan at Cambuur in the Eerste Divisie, top-flight outfit Groningen snapped him up for €125k. He then spent three years in Belgium with Genk before returning to his homeland.

AZ secured his services on Bosman and handed him a ‘number 1’ status across competitions. Bizot left them four years later, this time for France, as Les Pirates completed a minuscule €1m transfer in the summer of 2021. He maintained his expertise between the sticks, including a boisterous 2023–24 season when the Ligue 1 side finished third behind PSG and Monaco. The veteran shotstopper also represented them nine times in the 2024-25 Champions League campaign.

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – NOVEMBER 11: Alvaro Morata of Spain battles for the ball with Joel Veltman of Netherlands during the international friendly match between Netherlands and Spain at Johan Cruijff Arena on November 11, 2020, in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Sporting stadiums around the Netherlands remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues, resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Why Aston Villa Are Chasing Bizot

Despite a regular first-team role, Bizot is now ready to try his luck in English football. While he impressed both Unai Emery and the club’s scouting department, the Spanish boss is roping him in as the second-choice following Robin Olsen’s departure. Villa have Joe Gauci and Filip Marschall among goalkeeping options; however, the pair could also part ways, with the latter being targeted by Blackpool and Port Vale as per the latest rumours.

Meanwhile, Martinez has been linked to an exit for quite some time amid interest from both top English outfits and Saudi clubs. The Argentine World Cup hero is one of the highest earners at Villa Park, and his move would ease their wage bill, thus helping them avoid the Premier League’s PSR and UEFA’s sanctions.

Aston Villa breached UEFA’s squad cost rules last year. They agreed with UEFA to cut salary expenses by the closure of the next summer window, and the failure to qualify for the upcoming Champions League season has hit them financially. Although they used several accounting loopholes to avoid punishment, there is little room for mistakes in the coming days.

It remains to be seen who the club will bring in as Martinez’s successor, but a player of Bizot’s profile could claim a starting spot for the time being. His shot-stopping ability, high claims, outings and the composure in one-on-one situations offer stability in the last line of defence. Despite a challenging 2024-25 Ligue 1 campaign, the Dutchman possesses all the qualities to excel in England under Emery’s guidance and Javi Garcia’s training.