Alonso replaces Sánchez with Martínez as Chelsea complete £7.5m signing from Aston Villa
Xabi Alonso moved to replace Robert Sánchez with Emiliano Martínez at Chelsea after the club completed the £7.5m signing of Martínez from Aston Villa on Thursday night during the summer transfer window. The decision followed Sánchez’s error-strewn display in Chelsea’s 3-2 win over Fulham and came before Tuesday’s transfer deadline.
Chelsea’s search for a reliable No 1 has been a recurring theme since selling Thibaut Courtois eight years ago, a period the club endured a succession of inconsistent goalkeepers. The article compares past examples of clubs improving after major goalkeeper signings — José Mourinho replacing Carlo Cudicini with Petr Čech, Brian Clough valuing Peter Shilton, Jürgen Klopp signing Alisson, and David Raya’s pivotal save for Arsenal — and frames Martínez’s arrival as part of a summer when BlueCo intensified Chelsea’s transfer activity.
Sánchez joined Chelsea from Brighton for £25m three years ago and has faced intermittent competition for the starting role under a series of coaches. Mauricio Pochettino switched to Djordje Petrovic midway through the 2023-24 season; Enzo Maresca reinstated Sánchez after becoming head coach in summer 2024; Filip Jörgensen, signed from Villarreal two years ago, had chances but struggled to convince and was not retained in February 2025; Liam Rosenior’s selection of Jörgensen over Sánchez in a Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain last season preceded a 5-2 defeat; Jörgensen departed this summer.
Chelsea had planned a season of gradual change with Sánchez as first pick and Mike Penders providing competition, retaining a focus on youth while limiting big-money goalkeeper moves. Penders joined from Genk for £17m two years ago and made his debut in the Carabao Cup win over Luton on Thursday; Teddy Sharman-Lowe was set as third choice. The club previously avoided pursuing Milan’s Mike Maignan and Porto’s Diogo Costa partly because of their belief in Penders’s potential.
Sánchez’s performance against Fulham — including an instance when he dribbled the ball behind for a corner and being at fault for both Fulham goals — convinced Chelsea’s leadership that a new goalkeeper was needed to avoid jeopardising their season. Chelsea were contacted by Martínez’s representatives earlier in the week, the sporting leadership took the proposal to Alonso, he approved it, and the transfer was completed on Thursday night. There were internal debates about whether the move should be permanent or a loan, and concerns were raised about Sánchez’s likely reaction to an immediate demotion; interest in Sánchez exists from clubs in England, Europe and Saudi Arabia.
Martínez had been seeking an exit from Aston Villa, having nearly joined Manchester United last summer and recently appearing close to a move to Juventus, while Villa moved on by signing Zion Suzuki. Martínez is Argentina’s No 1, a World Cup winner in 2022, and is described in the article as having been one of the best goalkeepers in England since joining Villa from Arsenal in 2020. He is 34 next week and has signed a two-year deal with an option of an extra year; Martínez reportedly had other offers but wanted to play for Alonso, which helped persuade Chelsea to complete the deal.
Chelsea said the club needed stability and that Martínez provides an experienced presence to mentor Penders while the club focuses on the present. Sánchez is unlikely to feature when Chelsea host Brighton on Sunday. The article adds that although there is still no guarantee Chelsea will challenge Arsenal’s dominance, the club’s leadership believe Martínez’s arrival improves their immediate prospects.