Atletico Madrid are reportedly ready to step up their interest in two Premier League players in a double raid for a pair of older heads.
Aston Villa missed out on a return to the Champions League thanks to a last-gasp collapse at Manchester United on the final day of the Premier League season and are expected to suffer some unwanted personnel losses as a result.
But one way to limit the damage inflicted by the club’s financial constraints this summer could be to part ways with some of Villa’s older players while they still command a fee.
Reports emerging via Football Insider suggest that Atleti could seek to give with one hand and take away the other when it comes to a pair of the Villans’ over-30 stars.
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez sparked a blaze of transfer rumours after Villa’s final home game of 2024-25 against Tottenham Hotspur, waving in tears as the players conducted their traditional lap of appreciation.
Links to Saudi Arabia and Man United followed and the chatter has been constant ever since. Martinez is widely reported to be casting adoring glances in the direction of Old Trafford for some reason but Diego Simeone and Atleti are interested too.
With Villa needing to settle any profit and sustainability rules concerns sooner rather than later, left-back Lucas Digne has also emerged as a target for the Rojiblancos.
“Atletico Madrid have been speaking to both Digne and [Liverpool defender Andy] Robertson about signing this summer, but the latter has yet to make a decision about joining,” reports Football Insider, claiming that Digne has ‘opened talks’ with the Madrid club and that Villa want £10m for the 31-year-old.
France international Digne could be set to return to Spain, where he featured intermittently for Barcelona after joining from Paris Saint-Germain nine years ago.
He arrived in the Premier League as an Everton player in 2018 and joined Villa four years later. Digne has been a popular player in Birmingham but his age and contract situation make him an obvious candidate for a club that needs a quick sale.
Digne has one year left on his deal and Villa can already call upon the services of Champions League finalist and Netherlands international Ian Maatsen, who signed from Chelsea last summer and made 29 Premier League appearances under Unai Emery in 2024-25.
Digne making the switch to Atletico isn’t an outlandish idea even with Simeone having tangible interest in Robertson too, but Martinez might be a different story.
The 32-year-old goalkeeper is in demand despite his performances last season failing to live up to the standards he’s set at Villa Park, and United’s eagerness – while nothing has actually been confirmed by any party – appears to be genuine.
Atletico already have a 32-year-old first choice goalkeeper and he’s probably the better of the two. Jan Oblak is contracted until the summer of 2028 and Martinez, after biding his time for so long at Arsenal, isn’t going anywhere to be a number two again.
