01 January 2023 , 12:51
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Aston Villa are reportedly eyeing a move for Everton stopper Jordan Pickford with their current number one stopper Emi Martinez courting interest following his World Cup heroics.
The former Arsenal star was a key performer for Argentina as the South American side claimed their third World Cup in Qatar. But while his performances on the pitch have led to increased speculation, his antics after the match, have drawn ire from across the world.
An obscene gesture after receiving the Golden Glove was followed by various digs at PSG star Kylian Mbappe, with the striker finding himself on the losing side despite netting a hat-trick. Former Premier League midfielder Danny Murphy has been particularly outspoken on his thoughts on Martinez.
Writing for Mail Online, he said: “The pity is Martinez had a stunning World Cup. His late save in the final is iconic and he was the hero of two shoot-outs.
“Argentina fans will regard him as a hero but everyone else will now be looking to ridicule him for behaving like an idiot. He may have thick skin and not care, but winning with class should have been easy. Instead, he’s clearly been unable to handle the euphoria of the moment.”
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Now, it appears that Martinez could potentially be on the way out of Villa Park with The Sun reporting that Bayern Munich are among the clubs interested in a move. Whilst it remains to be seen if the Midlands outfit would cash-in on their number one, plans are already being put in place for a successor.
Aston Villa are reportedly interested in Everton's Jordan Pickford (Getty Images)Would Jordan Pickford be a good signing for Aston Villa? Share your thoughts in the comments below
As per the reports, they are keen on England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford with his future at Everton beginning to look increasingly uncertain. The 28-year-old has just a year-and-a-half remaining on his current Toffees contract and is yet to put pen to paper on fresh terms.
Manchester United have also been linked with a move for the former Sunderland man and could potentially step up their efforts after Martin Dubravka was recalled by Newcastle United from his season-long loan. Regarding Martinez, new Villa boss Unai Emery has already confirmed that he will hold discussions with the stopper regarding his return to action.
“I want to speak with him when he will come here but I am thinking more about his performance and his win, than his celebration,” the Spaniard said. “The celebration is for the supporters, with really big emotions. It’s not really a good moment as a coach to identify why.
“I prefer to be focused on how he performed and how he is going to win with us afterwards. I am going to speak with him because I want to control him about that as well — his emotions.
“We have to have values, we have to focus on behaviour when we are together and with the opposition players. We can speak in 90 per cent of the cases about very good things and be very proud of him, for his performance, for his win. It is about more than small details like celebrations.”