Chelsea are interested in signing a goalkeeper under incoming manager Mauricio Pochettino, with Emiliano Martinez a candidate.

What’s the latest on Emiliano Martinez to Chelsea?

According to the Daily Mail, the Aston Villa shot-stopper could be an option for Pochettino as he will aim to bolster his playing squad during the summer transfer window.

Martinez has been at the Midlands outfit since 2020, joining in a £17m deal from Arsenal, however, following his recent performances at both club and international level, his value has risen to €38.6m (£33.5m) but with another four years left on his current deal, Villa could demand a fee higher than this.

Luring the 30-year-old to Chelsea may give the new boss the licence to ditch Kepa Arrizabalaga as he aims to bring his own players to the club.

Does Kepa Arrizabalaga have a future at Chelsea?

Back in March, Football Insider reported that Chelsea were in no immediate rush to offer the Spaniard a new contract, with his current deal expiring in 2025.

Yet, with the news surrounding Pochettino’s imminent appointment, this may well be his final few months in a Chelsea shirt.

Despite conceding 27 goals in 26 games, adding in nine clean sheets, Ian Wright criticised the ‘keeper on an episode of his Wrighty’s House Podcast.

He said (via the Daily Mail): "I’m looking at Kepa and I’m sorry man but it’s not working out. The man makes too many mistakes. He looks very nervy. When you look at Fulham’s goals and the Manchester City goal, I think Kepa has to do better."

Martinez could be an excellent replacement for the 28-year-old if he departs Stamford Bridge, especially with his rise to prominence since leaving the Gunners three years ago. He only made 38 appearances across ten years at the club, yet since moving to Villa, he’s already nearly tripled this number.

The ‘keeper was arguably one of Argentina’s stars during their victorious World Cup campaign, keeping three clean sheets across seven matches, while also saving vital penalties in the shootout wins over the Netherlands in the quarter-finals and France in the final, winning the Golden Glove award for best goalkeeper in the process.

His antics against the Dutch in Qatar led compatriot Pablo Zabaleta to describe the £120k-per-week star as “crazy” and he could be an ideal shot-stopper for Pochettino ahead of 2023/24.

Chelsea are no stranger to spending vast sums recently, and it could take another extravagant transfer fee to sign Martinez, but he would be well worth it.