Juventus dealt transfer blow as Aston Villa director takes clear Martinez stance | OneFootball

Aston Villa’s director of football operations, Damian Vidagany, insists Juventus target Emiliano Martinez is a ‘key element’ in the team, and the club has ‘no intention of letting him go.’

Aston Villa won’t let Emiliano Martinez leave this summer, the Premier League club’s director of football operations, Damian Vidagany, said on Tuesday.

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Speaking to 365Scores, the Aston Villa director said: “Emiliano is a very important player for us, and he is a key element in Aston Villa. All the talk about him leaving during the current summer transfer window is just rumours, and we rely on him heavily in the team’s project for next season.

“The goalkeeper’s future is settled; he is staying with us, and we have no intention of letting him go this summer,” Vidagany added.

“The team needs his efforts and extensive experience, and he is a very important element in our project for next season.”

LECCE, ITALY – MAY 09: Michele Di Gregorio of Juventus FC during the Serie A match between US Lecce and Juventus FC at Stadio Via del Mare on May 09, 2026 in Lecce, Italy. (Photo by Maurizio Lagana/Getty Images)

Juventus had made Martinez their top summer transfer target for the goalkeeping role, as the Bianconeri are preparing to part ways with Michele Di Gregorio and potentially Mattia Perin as well.

With Aston Villa unwilling to sell Martinez this summer, the Bianconeri will likely look to Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario and Parma’s Zion Suzuki, who are two other goalkeepers linked with a move to Turin.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – MAY 20: Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez reacts during the UEFA Europa League Final 2026 match between SC Freiburg and Aston Villa FC at Besiktas Park on May 20, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Several Italian sources have reported over the last few weeks that Martinez was open to joining Juventus, having already reached a principle of agreement with the Bianconeri.

Juventus, however, failed to strike a deal with the Premier League side as the Bianconeri were unwilling to pay more than €10m for the Argentine.