Aston Villa 'open talks' to sign £34m-rated star goalkeeper in transfer race to beat Man United to Ligue 1 gem

The referee may have got the headlines, but Emiliano Martínez certainly had a major part to play in Aston Villa’s failure to qualify for the Champions League in final-day defeat at Manchester United.

With the match in the balance in first-half stoppage time, a rush of blood led to the Argentine charging into Rasmus Hojlund well outside his penalty area, giving the referee no choice but to send off Martínez in what could have been his final act for Aston Villa. Matty Cash certainly sold him short with his back-pass but that gives no justification to Martínez’s actions, with Hojlund running away from goal and unlikely to ever score from that kind of angle. But in the letter of the law, it was a clear red card.

If that was to be Martínez’s final act, it was a sad end to a distinguished Villains career. He came in from the cold searching for a permanent home after eight years on the bench at Arsenal, a few weeks of strong performances after an injury to Bernd Leno provoking Villa to take a chance on the then-28-year-old shot stopper in a £20m signing.

Five years and 212 appearances later Martínez has played Champions League football at Villa Park, starred in a World Cup final victory while at the club and been an intrinsic part of the most successful Villa side in a generation. So when rumours began to gather pace earlier this month that Martínez may depart come the end of the season, it was surprising to say the least.

Monchi preparing move for top young goalkeeper

If Martínez were to depart this summer, amidst sensational links back to old club Arsenal, Villa would have their work cut out to find a replacement capable of filling his huge role at the club both on and off the pitch.

Fresh reports by Caught Offside state that the Villains are targeting 23-year-old Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier as a potential replacement, and sporting director Monchi is in talks with the player’s agents as he attempts to move the deal forward quickly. While still a baby in goalkeeper terms, Chevalier has kept 36 clean sheets in three Ligue 1 seasons as first choice, including 11 in the campaign just gone and a stunning 15 in 2023/24.

Already regarded as “one of the finest in his position”, Chevalier is a star in the making and reportedly plans to challenge Mike Maignan for a starting spot in the French national team in the near future. As such, he is open to a new challenge as he attempts to propel his career to the next level. No official offer has been made yet by Villa, but talks between the English club and the player’s representatives are ongoing. Sacha Tavolieri has reported that an offer of €40m (£34m) may convince Lille to sell, with Manchester United also interested.

Lille manager Bruno Génésio on Lucas Chevalier

Manager Bruno Génésio has been full of praise for the young goalkeeper this season. He said after victory at Toulouse in April: “We have a goalkeeper who earns us points, tonight he was decisive. He made three exceptional saves that kept us in the match. We need individuals (like him) serving the team.”

One way in which Chevalier can be compared with Martínez is in his passion on the pitch, even going to the lengths of winding up fans - as he did with a provocative celebration during the final stages of Lille’s derby win against Lens in October 2024, leading to debate in France. His manager Génésio said of the incident: “I didn't see live what had happened, but I believe that there should also be emotions in football, in a respectful way. I know what Lucas (Chevalier) must have felt; he is the most Lille player of all. I myself had that kind of emotion when I was in Lyon and we played in the derbies.

“I know some people have made some remarks to him. I think he is still a young player. He is from Lille. He perhaps felt the most emotion in this derby but he has to learn too. He is an extraordinary lad, not the kind to be disrespectful. It can happen,” said Génésio post-match.