‘They Were Annoyed’ – Aston Villa Unhappy On Pursuit But Opportunity Remains | OneFootball

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Aston Villa have been left ‘annoyed’ by Juventus’ strategy in their bid to sign Emiliano Martinez, prompting the Villans to double down on their intention to keep the shot-stopper at Villa Park.

The Old Lady have been working to secure a deal for the Argentine over the past month, holding discussions with Aston Villa as they attempt to prise the shot-stopper away from the Midlands.

Former Juventus goalkeeper Rubinho has also thrown his support behind the Bianconeri’s pursuit, insisting Martinez would be a superb acquisition.

Juventus’ hierarchy held talks with Martinez’s representatives last week as they continued to push for an agreement.

The Villans, however, have shown no willingness to lower their valuation of Martinez and have remained steadfast in their stance throughout the saga.

That position was reinforced once again after Aston Villa’s director of football operations, Damian Vidagany, publicly underlined the club’s desire to keep Martinez in the Midlands.

With three years still remaining on his Aston Villa contract, the Argentine’s situation also hands Unai Emery’s side a strong negotiating position.

According to Italian journalist Eleonora Trotta, Aston Villa’s latest remarks over Martinez were because ‘they were annoyed’ by Juventus’ negotiating strategy.

That frustration has only made the Old Lady’s task considerably more difficult, leaving them with another significant hurdle to overcome.

Martinez, however, remains keen on the move and is determined to secure a switch to the Serie A giants.

As a result, there is still said to be ‘room for negotiations’ between the two clubs during the window, even if reaching an agreement is unlikely to prove straightforward.

There have been claims of Martinez looking for a place in Turin since last month, reflecting the Argentine’s strong desire to complete a move to Juventus this summer.

Whether the clubs return to the negotiating table in the coming days remains to be seen, while Tottenham Hotspur custodian Guglielmo Vicario has already been identified as an alternative for the Bianconeri.

There have also been suggestions Spurs would be open to sanctioning even a loan move for the Italian, offering the Turin outfit a more financially viable option should Martinez remain beyond their reach.

Meanwhile, should Martinez depart for Juventus, Zion Suzuki has emerged as a potential successor between the sticks at Villa Park, with Aston Villa showing strong interest in the Japanese international despite Leeds United also being in the frame.