Martinez is eighth Chelsea-Villa deal in four years

What the report says

Chelsea have signed Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez for £7.5m on a three-year contract, continuing an unusually active transfer link between the clubs. BBC Sport reports that Martinez, 33, leaves Villa after joining them in 2020 and making 256 appearances, and he arrives at Stamford Bridge after winning the World Cup with Argentina in 2022.

The move is the eighth deal between Chelsea and Villa in the past four years, making them the Premier League clubs that have exchanged players most often in that period. BBC Sport says the pattern began after Chelsea’s BlueCo ownership took control in 2022, with Carney Chukwuemeka moving from Villa to Chelsea that summer. Since then, several players have gone in both directions, including Ian Maatsen, Omari Kellyman and Axel Disasi. This summer has already seen more movement, with Nicolas Jackson going to Villa before Martinez’s arrival.

BBC Sport says Chelsea have paid Villa £163.5m for players since 2022, while Villa have spent £102.5m on Chelsea players, a figure that could rise if conditions attached to Alejandro Garnacho’s loan are met. The article notes that some club executives in the league have questioned the frequency of these dealings, although there is no suggestion of any rule-breaking.

More broadly, the report says domestic transfers can appeal because clubs know the player and Premier League teams often have the spending power to complete deals. In this case, BBC Sport also points to a working relationship between Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali and Villa owner Nassef Sawiris, while stressing that timing alone does not prove the transfers were connected.