All roads led to Milan on Wednesday. The Juventus hierarchy descended on the Italian transfer capital for two significant meetings — the first with Udinese to discuss potential defensive and midfield movements, the second with Vlado Lemic, the intermediary who represents the interests of the goalkeeper who has dominated the club’s summer: Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez. The face-to-face meeting was a necessary step after weeks of video calls — during which the two parties had already reached full personal agreement on a three-year contract worth €5 million per year plus bonuses.
Martínez Has Already Said Yes — and Made Real Sacrifices
According to Tuttosport, The Argentine goalkeeper has given his complete and unconditional commitment to Spalletti’s project — accepting a significant reduction in his current wages and walking away from the Champions League he helped Aston Villa win, save by save, last season. His desire for one final great adventure at a top European club has proved stronger than any financial or sporting consideration Villa can offer to retain him.
The relationship between Lemic and Carnevali stretches back over several transfer windows and is built on genuine mutual respect — most recently, they worked together to bring Nemanja Matić to Sassuolo just over a year ago. That personal trust is now being deployed in pursuit of a very different goal.
Aston Villa’s Position: €10 Million or Nothing
The obstacle, as it has been throughout this saga, is Aston Villa. The English club have made clear they are prepared to facilitate Martínez’s departure — Emery himself asked the goalkeeper to stay an extra season last summer with a promise to support his exit this time around — but they will not do so cheaply. Their current position is a minimum of €10 million in compensation, and they are showing no sign of budging. Nor, it seems, are they particularly alarmed by the prospect of Martínez leaving on these terms — they have already identified alternatives.
The Final Gambit: Enlist the Player’s Camp
It is precisely this impasse that has prompted Carnevali and Massara’s last strategic move. Having concluded that Juventus cannot bridge the gap to €10 million themselves — and that Villa are not going to move unilaterally — they have asked Martínez’s own entourage to use their relationship with the English club to push for a compromise. Not zero — as Juventus would ideally prefer — but a symbolic fee somewhere between €3 and €5 million. A figure that allows Villa to say they did not simply hand the goalkeeper away, whilst making the deal financially viable for Juventus under their UEFA constraints.
Martínez himself will play his part — but only after the World Cup is over. He has disconnected entirely from transfer discussions to focus on Argentina’s campaign, and will engage directly with Aston Villa only once his tournament is concluded. That timeline is now the one that governs everything.
Vicario: The Fallback That Is Edging Closer
There is no ambiguity in the Juventus hierarchy’s view of the goalkeeping market: Martínez is the only name that unites the technical staff and the board entirely. Spalletti has been unequivocal — the Argentine is, by a significant distance, the most ready and reliable option available. But the club cannot afford to remain in limbo indefinitely, and once the sale of either Di Gregorio or Perin is formalised, a decision will need to be made.
If no significant development on the Martínez front materialises in the coming weeks, Juventus have already determined that they will pivot decisively and quickly to Guglielmo Vicario — available from Tottenham on a loan with a right to buy. Spalletti’s reservations about the Italian international are acknowledged but not insurmountable, particularly given the financial realities imposed by the UEFA Settlement Agreement. The swamp, as the manager would say, demands a goalkeeper who can guard its banks. If Martínez cannot be secured, Vicario will be asked to do so instead.
