Chelsea have signed Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez from Aston Villa for £7.5m – the eighth deal between the two clubs in the past four years.
The 33-year-old, who won the World Cup in 2022, has moved to Stamford Bridge on a three-year deal.
Former Arsenal goalkeeper Martinez joined Villa in 2020 and made 256 appearances, helping the club win the Europa League last season.
“I’m delighted to be at this football club,” Martinez said.
“Coming to Chelsea, for me and my family, was an easy decision to make and I’m just over the moon – I can’t wait to get started.
‘I want to be successful here. I’m someone who wants to win at everything I do and I want to bring that here to this football club because it’s a football club that wins titles, so I think it’s a good match.”
Martinez’s move to Chelsea comes after Nicolas Jackson’s transfer the other way last week.
No two Premier League clubs have exchanged more players, on permanent or loan deals, in the past four years.
The relationship began after Chelsea’s owners, BlueCo, took control of the club in 2022 and signed Carney Chukwuemeka from Villa for £20m that summer. Ian Maatsen (£37.5m, to Villa), Omari Kellyman (£19m, to Chelsea) and Axel Disasi (a £5m loan deal, to Villa) subsequently moved between the clubs.
This summer alone has brought four more deals. Morgan Rogers completed a £117m move Chelsea, while Alejandro Garnacho joined Villa on loan with a conditional obligation to buy in a deal worth around £43m.
Jackson then moved to Villa for £65m, before Martinez followed.
Since 2022, Chelsea have paid Aston Villa £163.5m for players. Villa have spent £102.5m on Chelsea players including Axel Disasi’s loan fee. That figure could rise to £150.5m should certain criteria be met to make Garnacho’s loan move permanent. Chelsea believe the terms are easily reachable.
Chelsea and Villa have done business before. Tammy Abraham, Ross Barkley, Danny Drinkwater, Ryan Bertrand, Steve Sidwell and Andy Townsend are among those to have moved between the clubs during the Premier League era, while John Terry joined Villa after leaving Chelsea.
But the recent volume of business between the clubs has not gone unnoticed elsewhere in the Premier League, at a time when both have had to navigate domestic and European financial regulations. One source told BBC Sport that a number of club executives have raised questions about the frequency of the dealings.
There is no suggestion, though, that either club have broken any rules.
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