Juventus Attempt To Sign Aston Villa Star For €5m: What Should Unai Emery Do?

Juventus Attempt To Sign Aston Villa Star For €5m: What Should Unai Emery Do? Juventus are playing their usual game. The Italian giants want Emiliano Martinez, but they want him on the cheap. According to Tuttosport, via Sport Witness , the Turin club have spent the first half of June sniffing around Aston Villa’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper. They have even managed to turn the player’s head. Martinez is reportedly keen on the switch, so much so that his camp is actively smoothing the waters between the two clubs. He is even willing to take a pay cut to get the deal over the line. Then came the opening bid. A laughable €5 million. Valuation Gap Grinds Martinez to Juventus Talks to a Halt It is a classic, cynical opening gambit from the Old Signora: lowball early, set a basement-level benchmark, and try to drag the selling club down into the mud. Aston Villa , unsurprisingly, aren’t biting. Unai Emery’s side have slapped a €15 million price tag on their number one. They want a proper fee, not loose change. The Italians are briefing that Villa’s demands are totally unrealistic, aiming to force a discount. Right now, it’s a proper standoff. Juve want a bargain. Villa want respect. The negotiation is completely stuck. Villa must hold their nerve against Turin lowballers ISTANBUL, TURKEY – MAY 20: Emiliano Martinez of Aston Villa celebrates his side’s third goal, scored by teammate Morgan Rogers (not pictured) during the UEFA Europa League Final 2026 match between SC Freiburg and Aston Villa FC at Besiktas Park on May 20, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images) Accepting €5m for Emi Martinez would be absolute madness. Madness. Yes, he is in his mid-thirties. No, he does not have age on his side. But look at the bigger picture. Since his heroics in Qatar, the Argentine has become one of the most recognisable, elite standard-bearers in world football. He thrives on the big stage. He wins penalty shootouts by getting inside the opposition’s heads. You cannot easily replace that kind of mental steel. Younger, unproven keepers with half his CV go for double Villa’s current asking price in the modern market. Aston Villa cannot afford to look like a soft touch. Champions League football demands elite characters, and selling a global icon for peanuts sends a terrible message to the dressing room. The Villa board have spent years building a squad to disrupt the Premier League establishment. They are no longer a selling club operating hand-to-mouth. If Juventus want a world-class operator, they need to pay market value. Simple as that. Until the Italians find some extra cash down the back of the sofa, Villa hold all the cards.