Chelsea have completed the £7.5m signing of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez from Aston Villa on a three-year contract, with manager Xabi Alonso handing the Argentina international an immediate start against Brighton & Hove Albion.
The West London club confirmed the arrival of the 33-year-old on Sunday morning. Martinez was required to be officially signed before the 12pm deadline on Friday, and Daily Mail Sport reported that his registration was secured in time for him to be eligible to feature against Brighton.
Despite persistent rumours suggesting he had suffered an injury ahead of the move, Martinez stated during his unveiling that he is fully fit and ready to play.
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso welcomed the signing of the experienced goalkeeper. "We always had the plan to get the best possible squad, and now that we have Emi [Martinez] we are bringing in a goalkeeper of world stature, winning mentality. He is ready to play and here we go," Alonso said.
Alonso confirmed that the goalkeeper had already integrated into team training prior to the match. "Yesterday he was in practice; everything was already arranged. And for sure, he is one of those players that doesn't need that much to adapt. I'm sure he can have an impact."
Goalkeeping overhaul at Stamford Bridge
The arrival of Martinez is expected to see Spanish goalkeeper Robert Sanchez leave Chelsea. Sanchez conceded two avoidable goals during Chelsea's match against Fulham on Monday.
Sanchez was left out of the Chelsea squad entirely for the fixture against Brighton. In his place, Alonso selected young goalkeeper Mike Penders to serve as the substitute on the bench.
Chelsea, who play their home matches at Stamford Bridge in West London, have been restructuring their squad under Alonso to compete at the top of the Premier League. The addition of an experienced international keeper provides fresh competition in goal following recent defensive inconsistencies.
Speaking ahead of his debut, Martinez expressed his delight at securing the transfer to Stamford Bridge and vowed to help the team compete for major honours.
"I’m delighted to be at this football club," Martinez said. "Coming to Chelsea, for me and my family, was an easy decision to make and I’m just over the moon - I can’t wait to get started."
The goalkeeper emphasized his ambition to win silverware with his new team. "I want to be successful here. I'm someone who wants to win at everything I do and I want to bring that here to this football club because it’s a football club that wins titles, so I think it’s a good match," he said.
"I’m all passion and I play with my heart. I will give 100 per cent every game, every training session to make the club, my teammates and the supporters proud."
Transfer developments at Aston Villa
Martinez became surplus to requirements at Aston Villa after the Birmingham-based Premier League club signed Japanese goalkeeper Zion Suzuki from Italian side Parma earlier this month.
Villa manager Unai Emery was content to move forward with Suzuki and Dutch goalkeeper Marco Bizot as his primary options between the posts, opening the door for Martinez's departure from Villa Park.
Earlier in the transfer window, Martinez saw a proposed move to Italian Serie A club Juventus collapse despite an initial £6m offer from the Turin side. The deal ultimately paved the way for his move to Chelsea for £7.5m.
Martinez spent several successful seasons at Aston Villa after joining the club, establishing himself as one of the Premier League's prominent goalkeepers and helping Argentina win international honours. He now begins a new chapter in West London as Chelsea's primary choice in goal.
