Chelsea Eye Emiliano Martinez as Sanchez Stumbles and Villa Open the Door

Chelsea have made contact with Emiliano Martinez's representatives over a potential move from Aston Villa, according to the BBC. The World Cup-winning goalkeeper, now 33, is considered available after Villa signed Japan international Zion Suzuki from Parma for around £30m earlier this month.

The interest from Stamford Bridge is no accident. Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso is dealing with mounting concerns over Robert Sanchez, his current number one. In Chelsea's opening Premier League match — a 3-2 win at Fulham's Craven Cottage — Sanchez was beaten at his near post by Josh King's angled shot and later spilled an effort that allowed Gonzalo Garcia to score. Three points, but two goals that left the goalkeeper's position under a spotlight.

Chelsea's next fixture, a Carabao Cup tie at home to Luton Town on Thursday, may offer a glimpse of an alternative. Alonso has said that Mike Penders, the young goalkeeper who joined the club after a successful loan spell at Strasbourg, could start. But a cup rotation is not the same as solving the problem for the long haul, and that is where Martinez comes in.

The Argentine's situation at Villa has shifted quickly. The Athletic reported on 15 August that Martinez was in negotiations to leave the club, with Villa stepping up their pursuit of Suzuki as a replacement. That deal is now done, and Villa — whose manager Unai Emery once called Martinez "the best goalkeeper in the world" — appear ready to let their most decorated player move on. Martinez's contract runs until 2029, so any fee would still be substantial.

There is a history between these two clubs when it comes to creative deal-making. Last summer, Chelsea and Villa completed what was widely described as a "PSR swap" — a trade designed to help both sides meet the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules — in which defender Ian Maatsen joined Villa and Omari Kellyman moved to Chelsea (he is now at Strasbourg on loan). A similar structure could smooth the path this time, particularly because Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, valued at around £65m, is a player Villa are keen on. Jackson would be reunited with Emery, who managed him at Villarreal.

Juventus had tried to sign Martinez earlier in the window, per the BBC, but the deal collapsed over concerns about a finger injury. The Italian club instead brought in Tottenham's Guglielmo Vicario on loan. Martinez himself admitted during the World Cup that he had been struggling with the injury, though that did not prevent him from featuring for Argentina.

For all the noise, Villa's home crowd still hears their PA announcer introduce Martinez as "the world's number one" before matches. Emery said as recently as last September that the goalkeeper was "happy and committed" to the club. Manchester United also explored a move for him a year ago. None of those earlier interest signs led anywhere — but none of them came with Villa having already lined up a £30m replacement, either.

What makes this stand out is the convergence. Villa have their successor signed and settling in. Chelsea have a goalkeeper whose early-season errors are already costing goals. And Martinez, a player who has carried the "world's best" tag in the Midlands for years, may finally be ready for a new chapter. The transfer window closes soon. If these two clubs can find a structure that works for both — and they have done it before — the most consequential goalkeeping move of the summer could happen in the final days.