Aston Villa push to sign £26m goalkeeper recommended by Emiliano Martinez
Aston Villa are now among the frontrunners to sign SC Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu, who could be brought in to replace Emiliano Martinez.
Earlier this week, it was revealed that Villa are now keen to keep hold of Martinez, who is worth around £40m, given his performances for Argentina at the World Cup, but if the 33-year-old continues, Atubolu could be a strong alternative.
In fact, Unai Emery’s current stopper is enjoying the Freiburg star. Speaking about the possibility of penalty kicks before last season’s Europa League final, he said: “Their goalkeeper (Atubolu) is very good, so I will have to push myself a lot.”
The 24-year-old made 15 Europa League appearances for second-placed Freiburg, while keeping five clean sheets and conceding just 13 goals.
Over the past three seasons, the German has been a fixture in the Bundesliga, making 94 appearances and keeping 26 clean sheets.
Hailed as “brilliant” by former Freiburg goalkeeper Mark Flekken, the Bundesliga star is now ready to test himself in the Premier League, with the Villans well placed to secure his signature.
Aston Villa are stepping up talks to sign Noah Atubolu
According to a report from TEAMtalk, Aston Villa’s talks to sign Atubolu are intensifying, as he is now set to leave Freiburg, who are ready to leave this summer, and is keen on a move to the Premier League.
The Bundesliga outfit are expected to command a fee of around £21m – £26m, amid widespread interest from English clubs, but Villa and AFC Bournemouth have now emerged as frontrunners.
Unsurprisingly, Emery’s side are keen to keep Martinez, who is already an international player and has extensive experience in the Premier League, but there are indications that the time could be right to sign the Freiburg stopper.
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Should Aston Villa sign Noah Atubolu or keep Emiliano Martinez? |
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Noah Atubolu |
Emiliano Martinez |
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He is very young at only 24 years old |
He has played 228 Premier League games |
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26 league clean sheets in the last three seasons, two more than Martinez |
He only averaged 1.75 tackles per game last season |
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He is determined to move to England, while Martinez wanted to leave last summer |
70.9% save percentage last season, 6.7% more than Atubolu |
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It would cost £21m-26m, while Villa could sell their goalkeeper for £40m. |
It has kept one clean sheet in the Europa League than Atubolu |
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Freiburg is open for sale, so it’s a great opportunity |
He has international experience, having collected 67 caps for Argentina |
Another target is the Aston Villa goalkeeper
Atubolu is far from the only goalkeeper being looked at by Villa, with Manchester City’s James Trafford a consideration, after the Englishman struggled to find game time similar to last season.
The winners of the Europa League are expected to introduce Parma’s star, Zion Suzuki, who caught the attention of Japan in the World Cup.
