PL Giants Targeting Top Goalkeeper

Originally posted on Essential Football | By J Johnson | Last updated Aug 26, 2026 11:33 AM ET

Robert Sanchez had a bit of nightmare for Chelsea in their opening Premier League game of the season. While the Blues emerged as 3-2 victors against Fulham at Craven Cottage, the Spaniard didn’t cover himself in glory.

He had to take a portion of the blame for both of Fulham’s goals on the night. In particular, the first one was quite the howler, as Josh King beat him at his near post from just outside the area. It was a great strike, but he should’ve done a lot better.

Mike Penders, the Blues’ backup goalkeeper, is highly rated by the heirarchy. Despite this, being 21 years of age, they’d rather field someone with a bit more experience at this stage.

Chelsea fans have called upon BlueCo to seek out a replacement for Sanchez for a while now – it seems that their wishes may be granted sooner, rather than later.

According to a report from Football Insider, Chelsea could seek out a deal for Aston Villa’s Emi Martinez before the window slams shut on September 1. Things will need to move quickly – less than a week remains to seal a deal.

It seems that Martinez is destined for a move away from Villa Park. Marco Bizot took his place between the sticks in Villa’s opening Premier League game of the season against Brighton, with Zion Suzuki being named on the bench. Martinez was nowhere to be seen in the matchday squad.

Of course, Chelsea aren’t the only club who have been linked with a move for the former World Cup winner this summer. In particular, he was heavily rumoured to be moving to Juventus, but the deal would ultimately fall through [via The Sun].

Furthermore, according to TransferFeed, clubs such as Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan could also be in the mix. If Chelsea wish to seal a deal, it’s likely that they’ll face some stern competition in doing so.

Emi Martinez 2025/26 Premier League stats

	Games	Conceded	Clean Sheets
Martinez	32	39	8

Emi Martinez 2026 World Cup stats

	Games	Conceded	Clean Sheets
Martinez	8	8	2

How would Emi Martinez improve the Chelsea squad?

Even at the age of 33, being just over a week away from turning 34, Martinez is still amongst the best goalkeepers in the world. He proved this as such as the World Cup, where he played a crucial role in Argentina’s run to the final.

A brave shot-stopper who excels in one-on-one situations, he commands his area with authority. He is prone to mistakes, given his eccentricity, but makes up for them more often than not.

His distribution is also excellent, allowing him to pick out his teammates and start counterattacks after securing the ball. Such a skill is very useful to have in the modern game, where turnovers in possession are becoming more and more important.

There will certainly be questions surrounding his age, but it’s important to remember that goalkeepers tend to play for longer than outfield players – he should still have plenty of years left in him.

This article first appeared on Essential Football and was syndicated with permission.

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