Unai Emery now personally driving Aston Villa move for Cagliari’s Elia Caprile

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is now personally driving a move for a « fantastic » goalkeeper, who could be brought in as a replacement for Emiliano Martinez.

Villa keen on new goalkeeper with Martinez’s future in doubt

After a Villa Park exit failed to materialise last summer, Martinez has remained Unai Emery’s first-choice option between the sticks this season, but former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson has suggested a departure may still be on the cards in the near future.

Robinson said: « I just think it’s been running its course for a while now. The speculation has never gone away. They weren’t in a good place, but the lure of Manchester United for him at that time seemed like it was going to happen.

« It just seems this season the focus has been diverted slightly, away from Aston Villa. « I’m not so sure he is as settled as he was. There may have been a little drop off.

« He’s a top quality goalkeeper. Would I class him as one of the world’s best? I’m not sure I’d put him in that bracket but if Villa are looking to move him on or he wants to move, they have a problem. »

According to a new update from Tuttosport (via Sport Witness), the Argentinian has now expressed a desire to leave Villa at the end of the season, which means Emery will be tasked with bringing in a replacement.

The Aston Villa boss is now personally driving a move for Cagliari goalkeeper Elia Caprile, with the former Leeds United man expected to return to the Premier League in the summer transfer window.

Emery is a fan of the ex-Napoli shot-stopper, who made four appearances en-route to the Italian side winning the 2024-25 Serie A title, but Cagliari remain in a strong negotiating position, given that he remains under contract until 2029.

Caprile could be « fantastic » Martinez heir

Although the 24-year-old found game time hard to come by at Napoli last season, he has proven himself elsewhere, being lauded as « fantastic » by scout Jacek Kulig courtesy of his performances during the 2022-23 campaign.

This season, the Italian has proven himself in the Serie A, ranking in the top five in terms of saves per 90, having established himself as Cagliari’s first-choice goalkeeper, featuring in every single game.

The Verona-born goalkeeper has already kept six clean sheets in the Serie A this season, which is more than he recorded across the entire 2023-24 campaign at Empoli.

As such, Caprile could be an exciting replacement for Martinez, but Villa are under no pressure to sell the Argentinian, as he is under contract until 2029.