PA Media/DPA
London
Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has signed a new long-term contract with the Premier League club.
The contract extension will see Martinez, 31, extend his stay with Unai Emery’s side until 2029.
Following a string of loan deals, Martinez joined Villa on a permanent contract from Arsenal in September 2020, eight years after he made his debut for the Gunners.
Martinez has gone on to play more than 150 times for Villa and won the World Cup for Argentina in 2022, as well as the Copa America on two occasions.
Martinez played in his side’s 2-1 win at West Ham in their Premier League opener last weekend.
Villa, who will feature in the Champions League this season for the first time in their history, host Martinez’s former club Arsenal on Saturday.
Burnley sign Chelsea
defender Humphreys
Burnley have completed a season-long loan signing of England Under-21 defender Bashir Humphreys from Chelsea, with an option to buy.
The 21-year-old, who can play at both centre-back and left-back, made his Chelsea first-team debut in the FA Cup tie against Manchester City in January 2023.
Humphreys also had a loan spell at Bundesliga 2 side SC Paderborn before spending last season in the Championship with Swansea.
"Burnley is a club with huge ambitions, the owners know what they are doing, and they really want to push the club on as much as possible,” Humphreys said on the official Burnley website.
Elsewhere in the Premier League, Southampton confirmed forward Sekou Mara had completed a permanent move to Ligue 1 side Strasbourg following a two-year spell at St Mary’s Stadium.
Brentford striker Ivan Toney continues to be linked with a lucrative move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli ahead of the window closing.
The England international was left out of the Bees’ opening Premier League game against Crystal Palace because of the "transfer interest”.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank revealed nothing had yet been decided as the squad prepare for Sunday’s trip to Liverpool.
"He is still here, training. He has a good attitude, no problem,” Frank said on Sky Sports News.
Asked if Toney could yet play at Anfield on Sunday, Frank added: "You never know in the world of football.”
Gundogan to return to
Man City from Barca
Ilkay Gundogan is returning to Manchester City, who he captained to the 2023 title treble, after one year at Barcelona, according to British and Spanish news reports on Wednesday.
The reports said that Gündogan has signed a season-long contract at City, with an option to extend it by another year until 2026.
Gündogan, 33, is to arrive on a free transfer despite a Barca contract until 2026. To allow the move to go ahead he is reportedly forgoing the Barca salary he would still be owed.
His first term at City was 2016-2023, highlighted by last year’s Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup treble.
He won four more Premier Leagues and another FA Cup in the period, and City manager Pep Guardiola had given the green light for a return.
Gündogan was earlier told by new Barca coach Hansi Flick, under whom he played in the German national team, that there was no place for him on the Barca team and that he could leave. He also arrived in Spain on a free transfer.
The move could also help Barca register Spain midfielder Dani Olmo who arrived for ?55 million ($61 million) from RB Leipzig in summer.
Gündogan said he on Monday he was retiring from the German national team. He won 82 caps and was named team captain last year, with Euro 2024 his last matches.