‘Prominent’ – Aston Villa Include Four Clean Sheets Last Season Star On List | OneFootball

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Aston Villa are exploring potential replacements for goalkeeper Emi Martinez, with Real Sociedad’s Alex Remiro a ‘prominent’ figure on the club’s shortlist of candidates.

The 31-year-old has spent his entire career in Spanish football and has established himself as one of La Liga’s most reliable goalkeepers over recent years.

Remiro has been at Real Sociedad since 2019 and has amassed 114 clean sheets for the club, becoming a long-standing presence between the posts for the Basque outfit.

Last term though he kept just four clean sheets in 39 appearances across all competitions.

The Spaniard helped Real Sociedad to win the Copa del Rey last season, though he was an unused substitute in the final against Athletic Bilbao.

With Remiro now entering the final year of his contract, speculation surrounding his future has started to gather pace.

According to Spanish outlet AS, Remiro is a ‘prominent’ name on Aston Villa’s radar as they assess several ‘high-profile’ options in anticipation of a possible change between the sticks.

The Villans are also considering Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki and Manchester City shot-stopper James Trafford as they evaluate a number of candidates for the role.

Unai Emery’s admiration for Remiro dates back to last year, as he remains very fond of the custodian and appreciative of the qualities he could bring to Villa Park.

Current number one Martinez continues to attract interest from Juventus, although suggestions indicate that neither an agreement between the clubs nor personal terms with the Argentine have been reached at this stage.

Should Martinez depart Villa Park this summer, the Villans could advance their pursuit of Remiro, while the Spaniard’s contractual situation may help keep the transfer fee within a manageable range.

An outgoing move involving an Aston Villa player to Spain also remains a possibility, with Andres Garcia on the radar of both Elche and Valencia, though the latter have recently cooled their interest.

Meanwhile, the Midlands outfit have suffered a setback in their pursuit of Jonathan Rowe after Bologna sporting director warned that the winger is not available for transfer.

With some way yet to go before the transfer window closes at the start of September, there are sure to be twists and turns for Villa.