"Don’t think he would be a positive addition to the club" - William Gallas advises Chelsea against signing PL star

Former Chelsea defender William Gallas has advised the club against a move for Emiliano Martinez this summer. The Blues are looking for a new goalkeeper at the moment following a series of unconvincing performances from Robert Sanchez.

The Premier League giants have been linked with a move for AC Milan's Mike Maignan of late. The French custodian is one of the finest in his position in the world at the moment, and his contract with the Rossoneri expires next summer.

Maignan could have been an upgrade on Sanchez, but the Stamford Bridge hierarchy are apparently reluctant to match AC Milan's €20-25m price tag. A transfer looks unlikely at the moment, although a Bosman move next summer cannot be ruled out.

Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez is another goalkeeper linked with the London giants at the moment. The Argentine is expected to leave the Birmingham-based club this summer, and is a highly experienced campaigner.

However, speaking recently to Prime Casino, Gallas suggested that Martinez is not the right profile for his former club.

“I have some serious doubts about whether he would be a good fit for Chelsea. I don’t know if he’s got the right profile to be the goalkeeper of Chelsea. When I think about his antics, I just don’t think he would be a positive addition to the club,” said Gallas.

Emiliano Martinez registered 16 clean sheets from 53 games for Aston Villa in the 2024-25 season.

Will Jamie Gittens join Chelsea this summer?

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl has confirmed that Jamie Gittens is on his way to Stamford Bridge this summer. The Englishman was a revelation for the Bundesliga club in the 2024-25 season, registering 12 goals and five assists from 49 games across competitions.

Speaking recently, as cited by The BBC, Kehl acknowledged that talks with the Blues were challenging.

"The talks with Chelsea were challenging, but ultimately we are pleased that we can most likely realise our financial ambitions and then have planning security," said Kehl.

He continued:

"Jamie is an outstanding player who has given us a great deal of pleasure. He now wants to take the next step in his career at Chelsea, and we wish him all the best and much success."

The London giants have apparently agreed to pay Borussia Dortmund £48.5m upfront for Gittens, with a further £3.5m in add-ons. The player has reportedly agreed to a seven-year deal, although there's no official confirmation yet.

About the author

Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over six years at Sportskeeda. He has written more than 9000 articles for the website, and has garnered over 20 million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.

Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.

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Edited by Deepungsu Pandit