Aston Villa shortlist Emiliano Martinez’s replacement – Club want €20 million

Aston Villa transfer news: Emery faces Martinez headache as Benfica open door for Trubin transfer

Aston Villa transfer news: The Portuguese grapevine is buzzing again. Benfica are ready to cash in on Anatoliy Trubin this summer, and the Ukrainian giant wants his crack at the Premier League. Naturally, Europe’s elite are interested. Yet, according to A Bola, Aston Villa are the ones quietly putting in the hard yards behind the scenes.

It is not just empty paper talk. There is a massive, World Cup-shaped cloud hanging over the Midlands right now. Emiliano Martínez is no longer a dead cert to stay at Villa Park. Far from it. That growing uncertainty has forced Villa’s recruitment team to draw up a contingency plan. Trubin is right at the top of that shortlist.

Dealing with the Lisbon giants is never cheap. The absolute baseline to start talks is €20 million, but anyone who knows Portuguese football knows that is just a starting whistle. The final fee will climb much higher. Given A Bola’s iron-clad connections inside the Estadio da Luz, you can take this specific noise very seriously indeed.

Why the Ukrainian shot-stopper is worth the gamble?

Pulling the trigger on this deal makes perfect sense for Unai Emery, but only if the ducks are lined up in a row. Trubin was colossal last term. Twenty clean sheets in a major European league is serious business. He does not rattle easily either. Scoring against Real Madrid in the Champions League proves he has the mentality for the big occasions. That cool, modern presence under the high press is exactly what Villa need if they are to maintain their status near the top of the English game.

Timing, though, is the real sticking point here. Look at the calendar. It is mid-June. Martínez has not packed his bags for Juventus just yet, and Emery cannot afford to alienate his current number one by buying a replacement prematurely. You do not buy the new house before selling the old one.

Read: Arsenal pull out of £80 million signing – player moving to Manchester United

Tottenham are lurking, too. That complicates things, but Villa hold the ultimate trump card this year, Champions League football. Spurs cannot offer that. Benfica cannot either. If Martinez does pack up for Turin, Trubin is the logical heir, young and proven, hungry for a step up. Emery knows keepers inside out, and this kid fits the blueprint.