Emiliano Martinez burst into tears

After the final whistle blew, Emiliano Martinez approached the stands and burst into tears. The Argentine goalkeeper continuously applauded the fans as if he was about to leave Villa Park.

According to British media, Aston Villa are ready to sell Martinez to a Saudi Pro League club in the summer transfer window to comply with the Premier League's profit and sustainability regulations. Last year, "The Villains" did the same when selling midfielder Douglas Luiz to Juventus for 42 million pounds.

Aston Villa are reportedly preparing to offload Martinez.

Martinez joined Villa for around £20m from Arsenal in September 2020. According to the Daily Mail , the Argentine goalkeeper currently has a relatively low "book value", which means Villa have the opportunity to make a significant profit if they sell him to "giants" in the Middle East.

Despite remaining one of Villa's most influential players, Martinez's form has dipped slightly this season. He was beaten twice from outside the box in Villa's 3-0 FA Cup semi-final defeat to Crystal Palace. In addition, Villa have conceded 22 goals from their opponents' first shot on target this season.

Martinez has been playing deeper this season, making it harder for Villa to press high up the pitch, and statistics show the reigning World Cup champions have made fewer crucial saves than a year ago.

In addition, coach Unai Emery and the owners want to reduce the average age of the squad. Martinez will turn 33 in September, so he is among the names that will have to leave. The Villa Park club has planned to recruit Joan Garcia, 24 years old goalkeeper of La Liga club Espanyol, as a replacement.