According to The Athletic, Aston Villa have lodged a second bid for Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and are now keen to see if they can land the Argentine.

Their bid is closer to the Gunners’ £20 million asking price, but the North London giants are now waiting to see if they can land a replacement first before making a decision, with Brentford’s David Raya being their top target.

Martinez wants to be Arsenal’s first-choice stopper this season, but it remains if that is possible with Bernd Leno now back in contention after regaining full fitness.

With Pepe Reina no longer at Villa following the end of his loan spell, the 28-year-old Gunners star has a chance to establish himself as manager Dean Smith’s number 1 with Tom Heaton still currently out with a knee injury and set to miss the start of 2020-21.

An injury to Leno after Project Restart gave Martinez the chance to prove himself last season, and he impressed, helping them reach and win the FA Cup finals.

He has proven that he has the quality to be more than just a back-up goalie in the top-flight, and Villa are convinced, hence their decision to bring out the cheque book.