Arsenal goalkeeper, Emiliano Martinez, is set to join Championship side, Wolverhampton Wonderers, on a season-long loan.
Wolves manager, Kenny Jackett, confirmed that there is a verbal agreement in place with the Gunners to bring the 22-year-old to Molineux on a season-long loan, as Wolves aim to push for promotion to the Premier League after coming close to a play-off place last season.
Loaned out
The 22-year-old 'keeper has already been sent out on loan on three different occasions. The Argentinean was sent out to League 2 side, Oxford United, in 2012 on an emergency loan for the last day of the season, where Martinez conceded three goals in a 3-0 lose against Port Vale.
In October of 2013, Martinez was sent out an emergency loan again, this time to Championship side Sheffield Wednesday and, after an impressive run of performances, Martinez’s loan with the Championship team was extended to the end of the season. Martinez’s latest loan move saw the keeper join Rotherham United towards the end of last season, where Martinez made a name for himself with a string of impressive displays for the Millers.
Martinez has mainly been used as a back up for the Gunners over the past few seasons, as either Wojciech Szczesny or David Ospina have always been seen as Arsene Wenger’s number one choices to be in between the sticks. However, Martinez was thrown into the first team briefly last season after Szczesny and Ospina were both side-lined with injuries.
First team experience
Martinez came on for an injured Szczesny during Arsenal’s frustrating 2-1 home loss to Manchester United. A few days later, Martinez kept a clean sheet against Borussia Dortmund in a 2-0 win in the Champions League. Martinez remained in goal for Arsenal as the youth product kept another clean sheet in a 1-0 win against West Brom the following weekend and, in his final appearance for Arsenal last season, Martinez kept yet another clean sheet in a 1-0 win at the Emirates against Southampton.
The move means that Arsenal are now left with only two first team goalkeepers in new signing Petr Cech, and Colombian international David Ospina. Wojciech Szczesny was loaned out to Italian giants, AS Roma, on a season-long loan, however Arsenal youth goalkeeper, Matt Macey, could make the jump to the first team in order to fill in Martinez’s place.