Martinez is being offered on the market for less than £10 million, and Chelsea are showing genuine temptation to make a move. The situation has been accelerated by Robert Sanchez’s unconvincing display against Fulham, which has intensified the debate inside the club over their goalkeeping options.
However, sources close to Chelsea have questioned how the club would keep three first-team goalkeepers happy if Martinez were to arrive.
There is currently a divide behind the scenes over whether Chelsea should bring in another experienced goalkeeper or allow Sanchez and Mike Penders to continue as the two options for the season.
The club are going to be cautious over Penders’ situation, despite his status as the least experienced of the trio. The 21-year-old is highly rated by Chelsea and is viewed as having a pathway to becoming their No.1 in the future. They do not want the arrival of another goalkeeper to damage his development or convince him that there is no route into the first team.
Sanchez, meanwhile, has been expecting to be Chelsea’s first-choice goalkeeper this season. If that position were suddenly taken away from him, or he were forced to compete more heavily for playing time, there is a possibility he could show his discontent and potentially seek a move elsewhere.
That makes the situation a delicate one for Chelsea, with the club aware that adding Martinez could ultimately lead to a goalkeeper exit.
Despite those concerns, Chelsea are taking the possibility seriously because manager Xabi Alonso is very interested in Martinez. The club have backed Alonso so far and intend to continue supporting his wishes in the transfer market.
Martinez himself knows he currently has no role at Aston Villa and is interested in pursuing a move to Chelsea.
Chelsea are in contact with Villa to understand the possible structures of a deal, including whether Martinez could arrive on loan or on a permanent transfer.
With the deadline approaching, Chelsea must now decide whether Martinez represents an opportunity too good to ignore — and how they would manage the consequences for Sanchez and Penders if they take it.
Dean Jones is a transfer news and football insider for Flashscore, since 2025. He has been a journalist on leading UK newspapers and websites over the past 20 years, establishing himself as an authoritative and trusted voice in the industry.
