Chelsea has completed the signing of Emiliano Martinez from Aston Villa for £7.5 million. The 33-year-old goalkeeper has signed a three-year contract and could be included in the squad for Sunday's match against Brighton.
Sources indicated that Martinez was registered before the Friday deadline, making him eligible to play immediately. The club announced his arrival on Sunday morning. Martinez stated he is fit and ready to compete.
"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. 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. 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."
Martinez's move comes after Aston Villa signed Zion Suzuki from Parma, making Martinez surplus to requirements. A previous transfer to Juventus earlier this month reportedly collapsed despite an initial £6 million offer.
Martinez's potential debut could see him replace Robert Sanchez, who conceded two goals deemed avoidable in Chelsea's previous match against Fulham.