Manchester United and Chelsea are both weighing up moves for Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez, according to reports in the Argentinian media.

The World Cup winner, who has been capped 28 times by his country, is thought to be a target for the two Premier League clubs, who are keen to strengthen their options in goal.

While United’s number one David De Gea has been tipped to sign a new contract for quite some time, there are now just 15 days before his current deal expires and he can leave on a free transfer.

Whether Martinez is being lined up as a contingency plan by manager Erik ten Hag, it is not known, but it’s clear that there is serious interest in the 30-year-old.

Martinez’s slow rise to prominence

The Argentine joined Arsenal as a youth player 13 years ago, and he spent a decade with the Gunners, despite only playing a handful of games for the first team.

During the course of his time at the London club, he was sent out on loan to six different teams before he finally made his mark at his parent club.

Breakthrough moment

After Bernd Leno picked up an injury in June 2020, Martinez took his chance and he put together a string of excellent performances for Arsenal, which culminated in helping his team win the FA Cup.

Aston Villa quickly made their move for the keeper at the end of the 2019/20 season, and he sealed his £20m switch to the Midlands for £20m in September 2020. The shot-stopper has been the Villans’ number one ever since.

Many feel that Martinez does have the ability to play for a higher-profile club, especially after his heroics at the World Cup, but we shall have to see whether United do decide to make a formal offer for him in the coming weeks.