Emi Martinez may leave Aston Villa in the coming weeks as Juventus push to sign him, but he would depart with one major goal unfulfilled. The Argentine goalkeeper has achieved almost all of his objectives at Villa Park, including qualifying for European football and winning a trophy.
European Success and Trophy Glory
Martinez had two main aims when he joined Villa: European qualification and silverware, mirroring manager Unai Emery's ambitions. Villa have now qualified for European competition four consecutive seasons and will play in the Champions League for the second time in three years next term. Martinez played a pivotal role in their Europa League triumph, featuring in the final with a broken finger as Villa beat Freiburg 3-0 in Istanbul to end a 30-year trophy drought.
Interest from Juventus
The 33-year-old was open to leaving Villa 12 months ago, holding out for a move to Manchester United on deadline day, but the Red Devils opted for Senne Lammens instead. Now, after cementing his status as a club legend, Martinez appears ready for a new challenge, with Juventus pushing to sign him this summer. He is reportedly keen to join the Italian giants, even though they will not play in the Champions League next season.
The Unfinished Business
If Martinez departs, he would fall short of one aspirational goal. Shortly after winning the World Cup in 2022, he revealed his pursuit of Mark Bosnich's record for the most Premier League clean sheets at Villa. Martinez told GOAL: "I've always got targets, I have targets in my locker. Mark Bosnich got 64 clean sheets so that's a target. Obviously I've got four and a half more years at the club and 32 clean sheets in two-and-a-half years so I am looking to break his record and be the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets in Villa history. Mark, I'm coming for your clean sheet record, sorry mate!"
Martinez has kept 60 clean sheets, just four fewer than Bosnich's overall record. However, following Villa's 2-0 win at Newcastle in January, he did surpass Bosnich's record for the most away clean sheets in the Premier League by a Villa goalkeeper.
