Chelsea signs Emi Martinez, debut expected against Arsenal after Brighton miss

Martinez completed his transfer from Aston Villa on August 30, 2026, signing a three-year deal with an option to extend. The fee, reported at £7.5m, looks like a bargain for a goalkeeper with his resume: a 2022 World Cup winner with Argentina, multiple Copa America titles, and a UEFA Europa League medal from 2026. The move came after Martinez found himself pushed out at Villa. The club had invested around £30m in Japanese goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, a signing that effectively made Martinez surplus to requirements. By the end, he wasn’t even training with the first team. That’s a steep fall for a player who made 256 appearances for Villa after joining from Arsenal in 2020. Robert Sanchez, Chelsea’s incumbent keeper, had struggled in the season’s opening match. Martinez, world-class and suddenly available for the price of a mid-table midfielder, was the obvious answer. The No. 26 shirt and what it signals Martinez will wear the No. 26 at Chelsea, a shirt number that carries significant weight around Stamford Bridge. It was the number worn by John Terry, arguably the most iconic player in the club’s history. What this means for Chelsea’s season Martinez will miss Chelsea’s match against B...