Key players at Aston Villa and Wolves sign new multi-year contracts

While the summer transfer window is going on, it can be easy to forget what is happening under your nose - but this is not the case at Aston Villa and Wolves.

A key player at Villa has signed a new contract at the club - meanwhile, a Wolves star, who spent the 2023/24 season out on loan in the Championship, has done the same. Let’s take a look at who they are.

Emi Martinez signs new deal with Aston Villa

There is massive news at Villa Park with long-serving shot stopper Emi Martinez signing a new deal at Aston Villa, which will keep him at the club until the summer of 2029. By that point, the Argentinian international will be 36 years of age.

This has been confirmed in a report on Villa’s official club website. Martinez initially joined the club back in 2020 - since then, he has made 145 Premier League appearances for the Villans. Furthermore, during his time at the club, he also won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with his native Argentina.

Previously, Martinez has played for clubs such as Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham United - he also spent a brief spell on loan at Wolves. Lauded as one of the world’s leading goalkeepers, this is an important bit of business for Villa.

Ki-Jana Hoever pens Wolves contract extension

Villa aren’t the only ones who have been busy in the negotiations room. Ki-Jana Hoever has been handed an extension on his contract at the Molineux Stadium and has been shipped out on loan to Ligue 1 outfit AJ Auxerre for the full duration of the 2024/25 season.

In the previous campaign, Hoever played for Stoke City in the Championship. He made 44 appearances in all competitions for the Potters, scoring four goals and notching up five assists along the way. At 22 years of age, he is still very young - it seems that Wolves think he is not quite ready for regular first team football in the Premier League just yet.

Matt Jackson, head of professional football development at Wolves, said: “Ki has developed on his previous loans and he’s maturing all the time. He’s been very good during pre-season with Gary and his staff, but we just feel a different challenge in France will be best for his own personal development.

“He showed with Stoke that he has the ability to really affect the Championship, but what he’s got to do now is progress even further and take his game to the next level in one of the top five leagues in Europe.

“Auxerre are a very good club and played some really nice football last season which got them back into Ligue 1, but with every newly promoted club, they’re going to face some tough challenges this season if they are to keep their place in that division, and it’s going to be an even bigger test for Ki. We love for our players to be challenged when they go out on loan and Ki will certainly be challenged this season.”