Aston Villa are preparing for another ambitious summer after ending the season with Europa League glory and Champions League qualification under Unai Emery.
Villa secured their first major European trophy since 1982 with a dominant 3-0 victory over Freiburg in Istanbul before sealing fourth place in the Premier League with an impressive final-day win against Manchester City. The achievement has strengthened the club’s position financially and given Emery more flexibility heading into the transfer window.
Despite the success, Villa could still face major changes to their squad. Morgan Rogers continues to attract serious interest from Arsenal, while uncertainty also surrounds the future of goalkeeper Emi Martinez.
The Argentina international, who helped Villa win the Europa League with a clean sheet in the final, remains under contract until 2029. However, speculation over his future has intensified again after Manchester United previously considered a move for him last summer before signing Senne Lammens instead.
Martinez eventually regained his place under Emery and finished the campaign with 49 appearances across all competitions, once again proving his importance to the side.
According to the Daily Mail, Aston Villa have already identified Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford as their number one replacement target if Martinez departs this summer.
Trafford only joined City last year and was initially viewed as a long-term successor between the posts. However, his opportunities became limited following Pep Guardiola’s surprise move to sign Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain.
Villa are now monitoring the situation closely as they weigh up a potential move for the highly-rated England goalkeeper. Any deal could prove difficult financially though, with Trafford currently earning around £100,000 per week at Manchester City.
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