Chelsea have completed the signing of Emiliano Martinez from Aston Villa for £7.5 million, extending an extraordinary transfer relationship between the two Premier League clubs.

The 33-year-old Argentina goalkeeper, who won the 2022 World Cup, has signed a three-year contract at Stamford Bridge after making 256 appearances for Villa since joining from Arsenal in 2020.

Martinez arrives at Chelsea determined to win more trophies and strengthen a goalkeeping department that has come under scrutiny.

“I want to be successful here. I’m someone who wants to win at everything I do and I want to bring that here to this football club,” Martinez said.

His arrival comes just days after Nicolas Jackson moved in the opposite direction, with Villa paying around £65 million for the Chelsea striker.

Martinez’s transfer is the eighth deal between Chelsea and Aston Villa in the past four years, making their relationship one of the most active transfer partnerships in the Premier League.

Since BlueCo took control of Chelsea in 2022, the clubs have completed deals involving Carney Chukwuemeka, Ian Maatsen, Omari Kellyman and Axel Disasi, among others. This summer alone has produced four major transactions, including Morgan Rogers’ £117 million move to Chelsea and Alejandro Garnacho’s loan move to Villa.

Chelsea have paid Villa £163.5 million for players since 2022, while Villa have spent £102.5 million on Chelsea players, with that figure potentially rising to £150.5 million if conditions surrounding Garnacho’s move are met.

With Martinez now joining Jackson, Rogers and others as the latest player to cross between the clubs, questions will continue over just how deep the relationship between the two sides has become.

Is the Chelsea-Aston Villa transfer partnership becoming the most influential player-trading relationship in the Premier League?