Emi Martinez has reportedly been left unhappy with Aston Villa after Juventus ended their pursuit of the Argentina goalkeeper following weeks of negotiations.
Martinez had hoped to leave Villa Park for Turin this summer and Juventus made him one of their leading goalkeeper targets.
However, Villa refused to lower their valuation after rejecting an offer worth around €6million to €7million.
Italian outlet TuttoJuve now claims Martinez is frustrated that an agreement could not be reached, having hoped Villa would eventually sanction his departure.
AS reported this week that Juventus have now abandoned their pursuit because Villa’s financial demands were considered too high.
Emi Martinez frustrated after Juventus walk away
Martinez’s disappointment would not come as a major surprise given how strongly he had been linked with the move.
Juventus held talks with his representatives earlier in the summer, while reports in Italy suggested the 33-year-old was keen to begin a new chapter in Serie A.
Villa held firm throughout.
Martinez remains under contract until 2029, leaving Unai Emery’s side in a strong negotiating position and under no obligation to accept an offer below their valuation.
Villa have already lost several important players this summer, including Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans, which makes their reluctance to sanction another major departure understandable.
Their determination to retain key players has also received another boost elsewhere. ReadAstonVilla reported on Tuesday that Manchester United are no longer expected to pursue Ollie Watkins, giving Emery greater certainty over another senior member of his squad.
Martinez must now prepare for the possibility of remaining at Villa Park for another season.
His relationship with the club will therefore be worth watching once he returns to full club duty, particularly after spending much of the summer hoping to secure a move away.
