Aston Villa transfer news: Emiliano Martinez turns agent to 'speak' to potential winter target

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is reportedly attempting to help Aston Villa sign an Argentine compatriot during the winter transfer window.

Villa have endured a number of difficult transfer windows having struggled to comply with the Premier League's and UEFA's financial regulations.

However, at a time when the club sit in fourth place in the Premier League table and new president of football operations Roberto Olabe has arrived, there is fresh optimism behind the scenes.

The primary target for Villa is a return to the Champions League for 2026-27, an achievement that would lead to greater revenue.

According to El Intransigente, the West Midlands outfit are ready to push hard for a new defender with the help of one of their star men.

© Imago / PhotoCero5

Martinez 'speaks' to Argentine centre-back

Villa are reportedly interested in signing River Plate centre-back Lautaro Rivero as early as January.

While the 22-year-old has taken time to establish himself as an important player for the Argentine giants, he has featured in 10 of their last 13 league games.

His absence from one of those fixtures was down to being selected by Argentina, making his debut in a 6-0 win over Puerto Rico in October.

The report suggests that Martinez, who was involved in the same match, has since spoken to Rivero to see if he is interested in making the switch to the Premier League.

Although River Plate are eager to retain Rivero's services, it is suggested that an offer in the region of €20m (£17.58m) would be too good to turn down.

Previous reports have indicated that the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Atletico Madrid are also monitoring the situation.

© Imago

Do Villa need a new centre-back?

As it stands, Unai Emery is able to call upon Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, Tyrone Mings and Victor Lindelof as his recognised central defenders.

Nevertheless, each of that quartet are aged between 28 and 32, highlighting that Villa will soon need to scour the market for younger alternatives.

If Rivero continues on his current trajectory, they may see value in making an investment in him, despite only 16 senior appearances being made for River Plate.