Tottenham are leading the way in the pursuit for Emi Martinez of Aston Villa, despite the goalkeeper being wanted by some of the biggest clubs in Europe, according to a report.

Tottenham are pushing hard to bring in a new keeper this summer. Hugo Lloris is now 36 years old and is expected to retire when his Spurs contract expires next year.

Backup shot-stopper Fraser Forster, who is currently playing regularly amid Lloris’ knee injury, is also in the twilight years of his career at 35. While he has just earned a surprise call-up to the England squad following Nick Pope’s departure, Spurs will not be able to rely on him for the long run.

Club chiefs have identified Martinez as a great successor to Lloris. The 6ft 5in keeper should be a good fit thanks to his Premier League experience with Villa and Arsenal previously.

Plus, Martinez knows what it is like to play on the biggest stage, having helped Argentina to win the World Cup late last year.

The Spurs Web have provided an update on Martinez’s prospective move to north London, while citing Italian outlet Tuttosport. It is claimed that Spurs are the current frontrunners to capture him from Villa.

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Martinez’s main priority when finding a new club is that they play in the Champions League. Therefore, Spurs must finish in the top four this season in order to convince him on a transfer.

It is slightly surprising that Spurs are in pole position for the 30-year-old given the calibre of clubs that are in for him. The report adds that Manchester United, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Juventus and Roma have all set their sights on Martinez.

Tottenham must fend off Bayern, Juventus for Villa ace

Particular emphasis is given to Juve. They have apparently landed on Martinez as a perfect replacement for Wojciech Szczesny in goal.

Spurs’ dire need for a new keeper means they must be considered the leading club to snare Martinez. He could also be convinced on a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium if Mauricio Pochettino replaces Antonio Conte and begins a new, exciting project.

However, transfer races are rarely simple and Spurs could soon be overtaken by Juve. It has been suggested the Italian giants may offer Weston McKennie to Villa as part of a player-plus-cash deal for Martinez. McKennie is currently on loan at Leeds, but his permanent move has come under threat now Jesse Marsch has been replaced by Javi Gracia as Whites boss.

Martinez is not the only Premier League keeper Spurs are eyeing up. As per the Sunday Mirror, Chelsea have told Edouard Mendy that he will be free to leave Stamford Bridge this summer.

Manager Graham Potter prefers to use Kepa Arrizabalaga, while he is also on the hunt for a new shot-stopper. And Spurs are one of the clubs who could help Potter by taking Mendy off his hands.

A transfer between Spurs and Chelsea would be a shock, given the rivalry between the two sides. But it does make sense at the same time, as Spurs need a keeper and Chelsea want to get rid of one.

Meanwhile, two new injuries have made Spurs’ situation under Conte even worse.

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