Juventus want Emiliano Martínez as their priority target in goal, after the Alisson deal collapsed. Aston Villa are not waiting around for the situation to resolve itself, either. They are already looking at replacements if their No.1 goes, with Zion Suzuki and Anatoliy Trubin both on the radar.

Why Villa are planning for change

The fee picture is still moving. Villa are said to want around €15m for Martínez, while Juventus are trying to drive it down. That is the sort of gap that keeps a deal alive without making it close, especially with Martínez still under contract at Villa Park until 2029 after signing a new five-year deal in 2024.

Unai Emery has already made his position clear. "I understand it completely, everything. Staying here is good news – I am so, so happy. He is the best goalkeeper in the world and his commitment to Aston Villa is massive," he said. That sounds like a manager backing his player, but it also sits alongside the reality that Villa are already scouting for life after him.

Villa's own numbers make the planning easier to understand. Martínez made 44 appearances in 2024/25 and kept 14 clean sheets across all competitions. Aston Villa finished fourth in the Premier League with 62 points, so if they lose a keeper of that level, it is not a move they can afford to leave late.

The shortlist behind Martinez

Suzuki has been watched for several months and is part of a three-man shortlist. He has made 57 appearances for Parma since joining in the summer of 2024, which is the sort of workload that tells Villa they would not be buying a raw project.

Trubin is another serious name in the mix. Dariojo Srna has described him as "one of the best in Europe," and his record at Benfica is useful enough on its own, 21 clean sheets in 50 appearances. Juventus finished sixth in Serie A with 68 points, so they are pushing for a goalkeeper upgrade at the same time Villa are trying to protect themselves from losing one.

The point here is not that Martínez is gone, because he is not. It is that Villa are already behaving like a club that expects a decision on him to land soon. If Juventus get their way, the replacement work has already started.

Compiled by the ClutchBrief Desk with AI assistance, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →