'I don't know if that's a great signing' - Keane clashes with Wright over Chelsea's Martinez deal

Keane doubts Chelsea transfer

Chelsea have completed a £7.5 million deal to sign Martinez from Aston Villa after Robert Sanchez produced a shaky performance in their opening fixture.

The low fee has earned widespread praise, with Wright stating on The Overlap: "I think it’s a great signing for Chelsea. He’s the goalkeeper that can take them to that next level because they needed to do something there."

However, Keane completely rejected this assessment, expressing major doubts over the transfer and highlighting the number of goals the goalkeeper conceded during the previous campaign.

Harsh criticism for the goalkeeper

Keane did not hold back in his assessment of the new Chelsea goalkeeper. The former midfielder stated: "I don’t know if that’s a great signing for Chelsea. I know they needed a new goalkeeper but I’m telling you, he was giving up a lot of goals for Aston Villa last season. I know he’s a character and a personality, I’ll give him that. But I’m not sure. I don’t know about that. He loves parrying saves straight into the six-yard box."

Keane's harsh breakdown sits in stark contrast to the views of his former teammates.

Praise from former rivals

Nicky Butt went as far as claiming the goalkeeper "could be the signing of the century" due to his World Cup experience and the modest £7.5m fee. Paul Scholes echoed this sentiment, noting that Aston Villa could have easily demanded more money for their star player.

Scholes added that while Martinez conceded three goals on his debut in a 4-3 win over Brighton last weekend, he will ultimately save Chelsea more points over the course of the season than Sanchez, who has since departed Stamford Bridge to join Como in Italy.

What next for Chelsea?

Martinez will have an immediate opportunity to silence his critics when Chelsea visit Premier League champions Arsenal this Sunday. Both clubs boast a perfect record after two games, meaning the goalkeeper will face a severe test of his credentials. A strong performance against Mikel Arteta's side would go a long way in proving Keane wrong and justifying Wright's high praise.