Juventus could be set to switch their attentions to signing Aston Villa's Emi Martinez this summer after being frustrated in their attempt to sign Liverpool's Alisson Becker.
Becker has been heavily linked with a move to Turin as he enters the last year of his contract at Anfield, sparking suggestions he could be on the move. But Liverpool are refusing to sell their long-serving goalkeeper, leaving Juventus to now pivot to Martinez, whose own future at Villa remains uncertain.
With Villa needing to balance finances, Martinez could make way this summer just 12 months after he was on the verge of a move to Manchester United. But he remained under Unai Emery to help the club seal the Europa League Trophy and secure a return to the Champions League in what was a fabulous campaign.
Martinez still has another three years left on his contract to run at Villa Park but is one of the higher earners at the club. Ironically, Martinez had been linked with a move to Liverpool to replace Alisson but with the Brazilian now set to stay put at Anfield that is now off the table.
Villa have been linked with some goalkeepers already should Martinez depart with Borussia Monchengladbach's Moritz Nicolas the latest name to have been touted as a potential replacement. Sky Germany says they could look to Nicolas to fill the void with the goalkeeper having a clause in his contract that allows any of the top five clubs in the Bundesliga to sign him for €10-15 million. But that does not apply to Premier League clubs with clubs in England having to pay €15 million.
Villa are said to have signalled their interest for Nicolas who kept 13 clean sheets in 34 Bundesliga games this season. He produced an outstanding display in a 1-0 defeat to RB Leipzig last month and manager Eugen Polanski said: "The fact that Mo was voted the man-of-the-match despite the fact that we lost speaks volumes. Such a performance doesn't surprise me. It's a manifestation of what he delivers week after week and day after day in training. He's an excellent keeper."
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