Aston Villa scouting Parma keeper as potential Martinez replacement

One of the mainstays in the Aston Villa for some time now has been the presence of Emiliano Martinez in between the sticks at Villa Park, having joined the club all the way back in the 2020-21 season, amassing over 255 appearances since that point. As a member of the West Midlands club, the Argentinian shot stopper managed to become one of the premier keepers in the world, being the hero in his country's World Cup win in 2022, and helping the Villans lift their first trophy in some time as they took down SC Freiburg in the 2026 Europa League finals.

But it's become apparent over the last few days that Martinez could be on the way out of Villa Park, with heavy interest from Juventus coming his way, with some recent reports stating that they've already agreed to a three-year deal. This would leave Aston Villa with the task of finding their next starting keeper, something they haven't had to do in some time. According to a recent report, the Villains might be looking to the same league that Martinez is catching interest from, in the form of Parma's keeper Zion Suzuki.

The Villans interest in Suzuki

As reported by Fabrizio Romano, the Champions League-bound club has been keeping an eye on the Japanese keeper for some time, and could look to pull the trigger on a move for him if the Argentinian is to move to the Allianz.

The Japanese shot stopper has been in the Serie A for two seasons at this point, helping Parma stay afloat, while not helping them propel up the table at the same time, as they finished in 16th place during his first season, and 13th in his second. This last season saw Suzuki take a step back in some of his numbers, only recording six clean sheets, while making 68 saves over the course of 22 starts at the Ennio Tardini Stadium.

If Suzuki is to make his move to the English top flight, it'd be only his third season in one of the bigger European leagues, as well as setting him up to make his Continental football debut, as the Villans are slated to partake in the Champions League, as previously mentioned.

As Romano stated, Suzuki is one of three keepers that the West Midlands side are looking at, but the identities of the other two are a mystery for the time being. Villa fans and the world alike can get a better look at Suzuki's ability as he is a part of the Japanese national team's camp for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with their first game coming on Sunday when they're set to take on the Netherlands.

It's worth noting that Suzuki isn't the only Japanese player to be watched by a Premier League side, as Feyenoord's Ayase Ueda is being watched by several English clubs after a phenomenal season in the Dutch top flight.

MORE TRANSFER NEWS

• Aston Villa among six Premier League teams eyeing Barcelona winger
• Manchester United star striker completes move to Napoli
• Chelsea linked to Juventus defender amid potential Cucurella exit
• Liverpool, Manchester United tied to relegated West Ham star
• Chelsea reveal hefty price tag for defender amid La Liga interest
• Manchester United, Inter Milan being linked to ex-Aston Villa star
• Liverpool, Bayern Munich lose race to sign German wonderkid