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Football

12th Sep 2020

Emiliano Martinez undergoing medical ahead of Arsenal departure

Wayne Farry

The Argentine impressed hugely at the end of last season

Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is undergoing a medical at Aston Villa ahead of his departure from the Emirates after the clubs agreed a fee believed to be £20 million.

Martinez made nine league appearances last season – his most in an Arsenal shirt – while deputising for the club’s injured number one Bernd Leno.

In that time he massively impressed, and helped the club to an FA Cup final win at the end of the season.

While many fans had called for the 28-year-old, who has been sent on loan six times during his time at the club, to be installed as the club’s first choice goalkeeper, it quickly became clear that manager Mikel Arteta favoured Leno.

He joins a Villa side who barely avoided relegation from the Premier League last season, and have spent the close season investing in key areas.

Their first signing of the summer was Nottingham Forest right-back Matty Cash for a fee believed to be £14 million, before breaking their transfer record on Brentford’s in-demand striker Ollie Watkins for a fee of £28 million.