“I felt their love”, says Emi Martinez of the Arsenal fanbase.
The Argentine keeper is leaving, confirmed this evening as he posted a goodbye video on Instagram to say thanks to the club and the fans as he prepares for a new journey at Aston Villa.
We’re not gonna post the quotes, the video is really nice and well worth watching. If it doesn’t display in the embed below – click here:
Good luck EMI!!
Good news followed by a bad news! Life if an Arsenal fan ?. Sad to see you go but hope you do well (except against us of course).
You will be remembered more than many others that have worn the shirt.
Sad to see him go but we need to generate funds for other areas and the players we want to sell don’t quite have takers.
I think Emery ows us and should really buy Guendouzi for a big fee (not that I don’t like Guendouzi but Arteta prefers to sell him and we need the money).
Hopefully atleast this means we don’t sell Bellerin, another asset we are reportedly considering cashing in.
I like your interesting logic here but honestly I prefer to sell Bellerin than Guendouzi because Guendouzi has potential to be a 40m+ player where as Bellerin would probably never go for more than 35m max and thats being very optimistic. It seems our board are terrible at selling players we seem to always lose money on EVERY SALE. So its no point thinking we can sell Bellerin for anything more than 35m. Lucas Torreira we bought for 26m we are about to sell him for 20m in a 6m loss?? AT the very least we should be getting what… Read more »
All I can say is ‘I love you Emi’ and I think I always will. Whether you have a blunder or a blinder against us, it won’t change that love. May you go on to have a great career.
Very emotional video there, I hope he gets a bang at Villa especially against all our rivals, and I hope we inserted the great buy back clause
Thank you Emi
An unlikely and amazing end to a loyal and passionate mans Arsenal journey. Even though it’s disappointing to see him go when he’s just finding his feet, it’s kind of a wonderful story.
Thank you so so much for everything Emi. And who knows, maybe one day we’ll meet again!
Ciao… For now.
November 7th no less!
Well said Johnny. The man put in the work and walked the walk when needed. It is sad to see him go but he has earned the opportunity to further his career.
Thanks for being a gentleman Emi and good luck with everything
Bummer. At least he went out with a bang.
Thanks for all that you’ve done for this club, Emi – and good luck.
Sorry to see him go, but wish him all the best with Villa
All the best EMI
Good luck to him. If the reported fee turns out to be correct then it’s good business as we need to recoup money to help cover recent expenditure on fees and wages.
I think you mean to fund the midfielder we all know is needed.
Dude you are a serious downer
It’s terrible business to get such a small amount for Martinez who showed last season he is one of the best keepers in the country. It’s also terrible business to sell him at all when showed he was vastly superior to Leno. Shades of Wenger selling Szczesny who’s now one of the best keepers in the world
Vastly superior to Leno based on a 12 game sample compared to two seasons of consistency (including incredible saves throughout). Take your blinkers off. If we sold him 6 months ago for this price you would be ridiculing Villa. Great bit of business for us
That’s a bit extreme. Yes, Martinez played exceptionally well and without any big hiccups. However, Leno is top tier. He bailed us and survived through Emery’s era of constant threat in the goal. I don’t know how much better Emi would have performed in those dark dark times.
Really? When did Szczesny show that?
He kept Liverpool’s world record signing Alisson on the bench when they were both at Roma.
Thanks for stepping up when needed and for doing it in such style. All the best Emi!
Less Two Games This Season, I Wish All The Best To Him!
A very classy way to exit the club, best of luck Emi (except when playing against Arsenal, then you may have a stinker)
Miss Emi already. As good as Leno is, there was something just right about Emi in goal and his success there. Oh well… Let’s hope it helps get a midfielder in.
He is too good to sit on the bench. All the best.
Why do I feel this is a mistake? Why isn’t Arsenal a big enough club to have 2 damn good keepers fighting for the number 1 shirt, especially with all the matches we play in such a short period of time. We won’t use the fee to buy a midfielder because some of the fee will be needed to buy a backup. And then what money will we spend in January when Leno gets a knock and we realize our backup isn’t that good.
Yeah I think it’s a mistake but he wants to be #1 somewhere, can’t blame him at his prime age. Though Villa are gonna be relegation candidates, I would be gutted for him playing in the Championship next season.
Because players often don’t want to fight for it either. Considering how good they both are, why will either settle for not playing every game? And if you do play one sporadically (Fair assumption that atleast one of them will go on a run where you can’t drop them), you’re gonna have to sell the other one cheaper next year anyway. Think we defo had to sell one of them, and I believe it might have been Leno if this was a non pandemic market with the top CL clubs willing to spend $$ on a GK.
A shame we couldn’t offer him what he wanted. There’s no doubt he’ll be a great goalkeeper and one of the best ones in the league. Good luck Emi. You’ll surely be missed.
It’s like when Ben Kenobi died to guide Luke on his journey to being a jedi. Emi has been sacrificed to give us the midfield that we need to dominate. It’s sad now, but in time we’ll understand.
“Use the funds, Edu!”
Sad to see him go, would rather have them both fighting for the number one, however, thanks for everything Emi, and best of luck in your new path. Once a gunner, always a gunner!! We will never forget the number 14th that you helped bring home, and won’t forget how amazing you were
What a humble guy. I hope he succeeds at Villa and becomes Argentina’s number 1. It’s really difficult when you’ve got 2 top keepers at a club both entering their prime years. Had Leno not got injured then we wouldn’t be getting £20m for Martinez now which can be reinvested in creativity in central midfield and hopefully we insert a sell on clause as well. Didn’t put a foot wrong in the restart and thoroughly deserves to a club number 1. Good luck Emi.
I’m hoping we put in a buyback clause
What class from Emi. Hope his achievements are fulfilled, he deserves it.
What a lovely and genuine man Emi Martinez is!!!
I got all choked up watching his Instagram post. Just as I did when he couldn’t complete his interview with the BBC after we won at the cup.
Aston Villa are lucky to be getting such a super goalkeeper but (in my opinion) are luckier to be signing an even better human being for their football club.
All the best to you sir.
Once a Gooner always a Gooner!!!
Couldn’t agree more, @Cygans Parting! He displays an emotional maturity and openness that we so rarely see – or are allowed by clubs’ media machines to see – from professional footballers. Villa have got their hands on a cracker of a person and I’m just hoping I don’t forever look at Leno and regret that, to keep him (which I’m happy to do), we had to lose this guy.
Emi Martinez? Never heard of him.
*wipes away tears*
It’s always sad when someone with the love for the gunners goes. Good luck to emi I would have put him as no1
Thank you so much Emi. La Albiceleste is the next step and it’s not too far away.
Gutted he is leaving but he deserves the opportunity to be first choice elsewhere. Good luck to Emi, he should hold his head high. Great signing for Villa (pleased Chelsea didn’t take a punt)!
By god I hope we have inserted an option for first refusal or some sort of buyback clause.
When we have fans back do you think a testimonial is possible?
Villa come to us in November, probably too soon to have a few fans there to give him a proper send off.
All the best Emi, thanks for the FA Cup!
Good lad!
Thanks Emi and have a great career at Aston Villa. Don’t forget to *accidentally* stamp on John Terry’s foot.
Was really hoping he would stay, but of course understand why he left to be number one at Villa. Great that he left winning the FA Cup and community shield. Wish him all the best at Villa (except when we play them).
So i guess he must be the key player who plated the least games and won the most trophies. Absolute loyal servant. We ove him and got to witness what hard work and patience brings for one. Im happy for him! May hr enjoy his football and help his new team stay in the epl.
Thanks for everything. Hope we are not going to regret that. Maybe it would be a good idea to insert a buy back clause.
I’m not crying, you’re crying! Top man, top keeper. I wish him all the very best. A true model professional and a rarity in the game.
I remember an arsenal video “stadium challenge” with Martinez, Ceballos, Rob and Macey where Martinez shirt was not available in official club shop. Painful to watch.
A really impressive individual. I’m sorry to see him go but hope he can make a big difference for Villa, as he deserves it for all his class and dedication. He played a huge part in saving our season last year, so all the best Emi and thank you.
This is truly heartbreaking but in the end i think its the right decision for everyone. Good luck Emi!
Top man.
Best of luck, Emi!
Wish Emi all.the best at his new club proud of his displays at wembley will always be fondly remembered for that
Emi,
you are on your way – unfortunately, not with Arsenal.
world class goalie soon, and a world class person now.
thank you for your Gooner years – I hope Arsenal have not made the wrong decision for the club. It is your decision that counts though,
cheers from us all; and thanks for your loyalty.
Martinez deserves to be number one at any club, his dedication and pure will power is a testament to what you can achieve, he’s a great role model for youngsters to follow. Good luck Emi.
Will miss you Emi.. thanks for all that you did for the Gunners!!
Stories like Emi’s make sport such an important part of life – the quintessential underdog refusing to say uncle, if you will. Good luck buddy, one of the few players I wouldn’t mind having a blinder vs us
Sad to see go. Wears his heart on his shirt for us. But good move for him. Plus aside from likely Runarsson signing (which makes sense given 1.4m), we also have Macey and Iliev in wings to decide on both now 26yrs. And Leno a very good keeper, no room for two of them. All the best at Villa. In other news apparently we are keeping tabs on Ibrahim Sangare now relegated with Toulouse. 6’3 framed DM may be the sort of player we need now at 22yrs given Elneny’s recent performance can temporarily hold for us with Granit for… Read more »
Funny how keeper was a position of issue for us but we now have a great alumni of ex keepers, one at Juve, Ospina at Napoli and now Emi going to Villa.
Best of luck EMI. Too bad you now have to work with that Cee U Next Tuesday. JT
What a classy way to say good-bye. Unlike the “you guys” and the “I should have been paid more” bunch. Great keeper, wonderful person, saved our season last year. Wish him absolutely all the success in the world.
“I try to show as well, young goalies” ..
cuts to a picture of Emi and Lucas Torreira. Is Torino getting a new goalie?
You know you are an Arsenal fan when life is one part good news and two parts bad – no news is bad news too.
Good luck Emi. I was kinda nervous with the pressure that comes with being a number one without the safety net of trying again at your new club but with that mentality you will be fine.
If a chance of coming back ever shows up, don’t hesitate
Most sincere departure message ever from an Arsenal player. Genuine love from both ends.
Now THAT is the way to leave our club. Gracious, grateful, humble, thoughtful, hopeful. Best of luck Emi.
Too good to be number 2. Thank you and good luck, Emi.