Juventus Targets Emiliano Martínez as New Goalkeeper

Juventus have made their move. After months of reflection and a turbulent season at the back, the club believe they’ve found their new goalkeeper: Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez.

An agreement in principle is in place between the Argentina international and the Turin giants. Martínez has given his approval to a three-year deal running to 2029, a clear signal that he sees Juventus as the next major stage of his career rather than a late-career detour.

The numbers underline that conviction. The Aston Villa keeper is prepared to take a sizeable pay cut to force the switch, dropping from the €7 million net he earns in the Premier League to a salary of around €5.5 million per season in Italy. For a 33-year-old who has just helped Villa to Europa League glory, this is not a cash grab. It is a calculated leap towards a club that still sees itself as a European heavyweight.

For Juventus, the attraction is obvious. Martínez arrives with the aura of a winner: a World Cup, a Copa América, and now a European trophy with Villa. He brings presence, personality, and a big-game mentality that has often defined Argentina’s recent triumphs. Those are precisely the qualities Luciano Spalletti has been demanding.

The Juventus coach, stung by a season riddled with defensive uncertainty, has specifically requested a goalkeeper of Martínez’s profile – experienced, vocal, and battle-tested at the highest level. The club initially tested the waters for Alisson Becker, but Liverpool’s flat refusal to even discuss a deal shut that door instantly. From that moment, all roads in Turin led to Martínez.

The player is ready. Juventus are ready. One obstacle remains: Aston Villa.

The Birmingham club still control the most important part of the deal – the transfer fee. While Martínez has signalled his desire to leave and already shaken hands verbally with Juventus, Villa have yet to agree terms with the Italians. At 33, he is not a prospect, but he is a cornerstone of Unai Emery’s project, and they will not let him go cheaply.

Early indications point towards a price tag in the region of €15 million. For Juventus, that figure is not outrageous, but they want the fee to reflect both the player’s age and the financial reality of Serie A. For Villa, it represents fair compensation for a goalkeeper who has been central to their rise in England and Europe.

This is where the negotiation turns tense. Juventus know they cannot afford another season of improvisation between the posts. The position is too important, the margins in Serie A and the Champions League race too fine. They want Martínez on terms that make sense for a long-term project, not a short-term gamble.

Villa, on the other hand, hold a World Cup-winning goalkeeper under contract and are under no immediate pressure to sell. They can wait, they can push, they can test just how badly Juventus want their man.

The coming weeks will reveal who blinks first. Juventus have already started to scan the market for alternatives, unwilling to be left exposed if Villa dig in over the fee. Several options across Europe are being monitored, contingency plans quietly drawn up in case the Martínez operation drags on or collapses under financial strain.

But there is no doubt about Plan A. Spalletti wants Martínez. Juventus see him as the leader to anchor a new cycle, the man to restore authority behind a back line that has lost its old certainties.

The agreement with the player is in place. The ambition is clear. Now the deal rests on one question: how much is Aston Villa’s last line of defence worth to a club desperate to rebuild its own?