As expected, Aston Villa is in the midst of a very active close to the summer transfer window. Of late, the transfer scuttlebutt has centered around the future of Emiliano Martinez’s potential move to Manchester United, the possibility of Marco Asensio rejoining the squad from PSG and the prospects of West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta bolstering Villa’s attack.
In the leadup to Villa’s 3-0 loss to Crystal Palace on Sunday, Martinez took center stage as football insider Fabrizio Romano reported that an agreement had been reached between the two-time Yashin Award winner and Manchester United.
As Romano indicated, Martinez was left out of the Villa squad for Sunday's Premier League fixture. Prior to the match, manager Unai Emery was asked a series of questions regarding Martinez and his future with the club. Instead of delivering a straight answer, Emery deflected each successive information-drawing attempt, repeating "Marco Bizot" regardless of the question.
On the surface, Emery's reluctance to address Martinez's future in Birmingham could be seen as a distraction to the club. The transfer window is nearing its close, and Villa is currently looking to add pieces to its attacking corps up front. But instead of making progress on that front, Villa is navigating a situation with Dibu that is growing a bit tenuous.
Once Sunday's match began with Bizot between the posts, the Aston Villa fans chanted Bizot's name along with the phrase "World's No. 1," which is a not-so-subtle jab at Martinez. So, the Villa fanbase is plugged into the transfer speculation, and Emery is stoking the flames with his commentary, whether he intends to do so or not.
After the Palace match, Emery met with the media once again and shed a bit of light on the Martinez situation.
"Tomorrow the window finishes, and we are expecting something to improve our squad," Emery told the media. "Keep calm. One of the circumstances is Emi Martinez. We will see tomorrow, and then we try get the balance and work after the break."
Emiliano Martínez to Aston Villa
Time will tell if Martinez remains at Aston Villa, but all signs seem to indicate that a transfer is imminent. And if Martinez is set to leave B6 for other EPL grounds, the Claret and Blue have a plan in place for his replacement. Diogo Costa from Porto is one player who has been linked to the club as of late, and his experience playing in Europe is surely seen as a bonus for the 25-year-old Portuguese goalkeeper.
With the summer transfer window set to soon close, look for Aston Villa to remain active on the transfer market after shoring up its defensive line with Lindelof over the weekend.