Roy Keane disagrees with Ian Wright’s assertion that Emiliano Martinez will help Chelsea go to ‘the next level’ following his move from Aston Villa.
Chelsea came into the new season with Robert Sanchez as Xabi Alonso’s first-choice goalkeeper at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues attempted to replace Sanchez 12 months ago but focussed on other areas of the pitch for much of this summer.
But Sanchez produced another shaky performance in Chelsea’s Premier League opener against Fulham and the Stamford Bridge board quickly decided to enter the market for a new goalkeeper.
Get ahead of the start of the season with our weekly football newsletter. Sign up now for free.
Martinez was offered to Chelsea by intermediaries and a £7.5m deal was soon struck to bring the Argentine World Cup to west London.
A number of pundits have praised Chelsea’s deal for Martinez given his experience and the modest fee in today’s market.
Arsenal legend Ian Wright, speaking on The Overlap, said: ‘I think it’s a great signing for Chelsea. He’s the goalkeeper that can take them to that next level because they needed to do something there.’
But Keane disagrees with Wright’s opinion of Martinez and has doubts over Chelsea’s late summer transfer.
‘I don’t know if that’s a great signing for Chelsea,’ the former Manchester United captain said.
Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications.
‘I know they needed a new goalkeeper but I’m telling you, he was giving up a lot of goals for Aston Villa last season. I know he’s a character and a personality, I’ll give him that.
‘But I’m not sure. I don’t know about that. He loves parrying saves straight into the six-yard box.’
While Keane has doubts over Martinez, his former Manchester United teammate Nicky Butt has branded the goalkeeper the ‘signing of the century’.
‘The goalkeeper [Emiliano Martinez] could be the signing of the century,’ ex-England midfielder Butt said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast.
