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Emiliano Martinez is expected to sign for Aston Villa within days, and has confirmed this with a four-minute video on Instagram.
Words: Andrew Maddox | @MaddoxJourno
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Emi Martinez has seemingly bid farewell to Arsenal in an emotional social media post.
In a four minute video posted on his personal Instagram account, he posted clips of his time in a Gunners shirt alongside a heartfelt speech on his club. He spoke about waiting for his chance at the Emirates and his feelings towards the London giants.
He described the feeling he had while being sentenced to loan spell after loan spell away from Arsenal:
“I always had a feeling that I would get my chance at Arsenal. I was always trying to come back to the club I love. I did it. I waited. I got past the frustration because football is not always as easy as everyone thinks.
His wait and frustration paid off after Arsenal number one Bernd Leno picked up an injury at Brighton:
“I told my family and my teammates that this is my time. I’m 27 and I have some games under my belt… I just needed the confidence and I had it.”
The Argentine stopper will arrive for a reported guaranteed £16 million fee, potentially rising to £20 million with potential future add-ons. His contract is reported to be a four-year deal believed to be worth around £60,000 per week. Combined with the record signing of Ollie Watkins and bumper new contract for Jack Grealish, the spending is a clear statement of intent from the Villa owners. The announcement could be made as soon as tomorrow morning, though it has only took him this long due to a dispute between the player and Arsenal over bonuses.
Martinez impressed Arsenal fans with his consistently strong performances between the sticks towards the end of the 2019/20 season, especially with his acrobatic fingertip save at Anfield during Arsenal’s shock victory against the Premier League champions Liverpool. He also kept nets as Arsenal won the FA Cup and Community Shield.
