Emiliano Martínez has said yes to Chelsea. The World Cup winner is open to the move even though Chelsea have no European football this season, and Aston Villa are willing to let him go for an upfront fee of around €10 million, roughly £8.6 million.
Villa settled the succession before the sale, which is why the price is what it is. They agreed a deal worth about £30 million with Parma for the Japan international Zion Suzuki, 23, and Suzuki is now the intended starter. A 33-year-old goalkeeper behind a 23-year-old signing is a squad problem with one solution.
What is left is Chelsea's own decision. Talks with the player's camp are live and internal discussions are ongoing, and he has also been offered to Tottenham, which is the kind of detail that usually means an agent creating a second bidder rather than a serious second suitor.
The number is what makes this notable. Martínez has been among the best goalkeepers in the league for five years, won a World Cup in the middle of it, and is available for less than Villa paid Arsenal for him in 2020 once you account for six years of inflation. Selling clubs do not usually get to choose the timing when a replacement has already arrived.
The window closes at 11pm on Tuesday 1 September.