Juventus have scheduled a meeting with the agent of Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez as the Turin club step up their pursuit of the Argentine World Cup-winning goalkeeper. However, with notable obstacles still to overcome, they are keeping their alternatives firmly in view.
Mutual Interest — But Significant Hurdles
Tuttosport report how the attraction between Juventus and Martínez is no secret. The club are determined to hand Spalletti his preferred goalkeeper, while the 33-year-old himself is keen to move on, regardless of Aston Villa’s Europa League success this season. Birmingham, by all accounts, no longer appeals.
His desire is for one final adventure at a major European club — even if that means forgoing Champions League football. Last summer he came close to joining Manchester United before Aston Villa blocked the move, with manager Emery reportedly promising Martínez he would personally facilitate a departure the following summer. That moment has now arrived.
The Sticking Points: Wages and Transfer Fee
Juventus are set to meet agent Gustavo Goni in the coming days, and it will not be straightforward. The club cannot match Martínez’s current £7 million-a-year Premier League salary, unless a longer four-year deal is structured to ease the financial burden — an option the board are understood to be lukewarm on, given he turns 34 in September.
Beyond wages, Aston Villa are holding firm at a £20 million asking price. Juventus will use the player’s desire to leave as leverage, but with pre-season approaching, they have no appetite for a drawn-out negotiation.
Plan B: De Gea, Vicario, Pickford, and Nubel
Should the Martínez deal fall through, options exist. David De Gea, leaving Fiorentina, offers an experienced, low-cost solution. Guglielmo Vicario has seen his stock rise at Juventus in recent days, with Tottenham open to a loan with a conditional obligation to buy at around £20 million — though Spalletti reportedly has reservations about the Italian’s experience and temperament, preferring a goalkeeper with stronger international credentials and genuine dressing-room authority.
Jordan Pickford, whose camp recently made contact with the club, and Alexander Nubel, back at Bayern Munich after a loan at Stuttgart, round out a credible list of alternatives.
