Arsenal icon Jens Lehmann has revealed Emiliano Martinez contacted him over a move to Hertha Berlin in 2020. But the World Cup winner joined Aston Villa after they rejected him.
Martinez spent a decade in north London serving as the backup but only broke through as a regular in his final season. Yet Mikel Arteta sought to restore Bernd Leno as his number one for the 2020/21 campaign. He only moved away from the German following a knee injury.
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Another year as Leno’s understudy was not on Martinez’s agenda, however. So, he sought a move and Lehmann claims the Argentine ‘called me’ to discuss joining Hertha Berlin. The pair know each other from their respective spells with Arsenal and came close to reuniting.
Lehmann claims Martinez ‘called him’ to help secure his exit from Arsenal in 2020
Lehmann returned to Arsenal for a short spell at the end of the 2010/11 season to provide Arsene Wenger help. He also served on the Gunners icon’s coaching staff over the 2017/18 season. But the German accepted a role on the supervisory board at Hertha Berlin in 2020.
Martinez sought to use his connections with Lehmann to get a move away from Arsenal to the Bundesliga. Yet Hertha did not adhere to the Gunners hero’s advice and Aston Villa got a £17m deal for the Argentine. Now, Martinez has become a World Cup champion in 2022.
“He called me two years ago because he wanted a new club,” Lehmann told Sky Germany. “I know him quite well. At that time I was still on the Hertha committee and I suggested to them: ‘Look at him. He’s good. You can have him for cheap.’ They didn’t.”
Hertha Berlin must regret not signing Martinez before Aston Villa swooped
Hertha Berlin must regret not following Lehmann’s advice to sign Martinez before Arsenal sold the goalkeeper to Aston Villa. The Bundesliga club instead opted to acquire Alexander Schwolow from SC Freiburg over the Argentina hero. Yet he is now on loan to Schalke 04.
Martinez was vital to Argentina winning the World Cup at Qatar 2022 after two sensational penalty shootout showings. He saved two spot-kicks in their quarter-final shootout against the Netherlands. The 30-year-old would also deny France star Kingsley Coman in the final.
Aston Villa have also seen Martinez emerge as one of the leaders in their dressing room as a vital option. He has featured 91 times for 30 clean sheets across all competitions with the Villans. The Mar del Plata native only played in 38 games for 16 clean sheets with Arsenal.
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