Emi Martinez Transitions to Chelsea's No.1 Goalkeeper
Emi Martinez has been at Chelsea for barely a heartbeat, but he has already changed his skin.
The Argentina goalkeeper arrived from Aston Villa in a £7.5 million deal, walked straight into the team, pulled on the No.26 shirt and helped deliver a wild 4-3 win over Brighton on debut. A new keeper, a famous number, a chaotic victory. It all felt like the start of a story.
Now the number has gone.
From Terry’s 26 to Chelsea’s No.1
Martinez had made a point of asking John Terry for his blessing before taking 26, the number the former captain turned into a symbol of Chelsea’s modern era. He’d worn it on loan before, he liked the feel of it, and he wanted to carry it into Stamford Bridge.
“John was someone I spoke to before I joined, and he said he was over the moon to have me here,” Martinez said. “The morning I signed, I texted him and said, ‘I’m wearing your shirt, and I’m going to do it with pride’.”
Terry could not have been more enthusiastic. He called Martinez a potential signing of the summer, raving about the keeper he once helped bring to Aston Villa from Arsenal.
“If I had the choice of any goalkeeper in the world, he would be right at the very top for me,” Terry said. “We signed him at Aston Villa from Arsenal and he was unbelievable. The confidence he shows, the way he trains, the influence he had on a group of players, the mindset is incredible.”
For Terry, the connection went beyond talent. It was about mentality.
“He’s taking the 26 shirt, yes, we’ve given the green light,” he said. “You know why? Because he loves keeping clean sheets as much as I did when I wore the 26 shirt.”
That bond, though, will now live in memory rather than on the back of Martinez’s jersey.
Sanchez exit opens the door
Robert Sanchez’s deadline-day loan move to Como changed everything. His departure left the No.1 shirt vacant, and Chelsea’s new goalkeeper moved quickly. The prestige of the traditional keeper’s number was there for the taking. Martinez grabbed it.
Chelsea have confirmed the switch and, aware of how fast events have moved, offered a gesture to supporters who rushed to embrace the original 26.
Any fan who bought a ‘Martinez 26’ shirt from the official megastore or club website can bring it to Stamford Bridge by October 4, with proof of purchase, and have it signed by the new No.1 himself. A small olive branch to those who thought they had bought into a new era, only to see the number change within weeks.
A restless shirt, a settled keeper
Since Terry’s retirement, 26 has never really found a permanent home. Kalidou Koulibaly wore it briefly. Levi Colwill took it for a single season before switching to No.6. The shirt that once defined an era has become a passing stop for big names and bright prospects.
Martinez will now step away from that legacy and into something more traditional. No.1 is cleaner, simpler, and more blunt in its message: he is the man.
With Sanchez out on loan, there is no debate about hierarchy. Martinez is Chelsea’s undisputed first-choice goalkeeper as they try to turn a wild, nerve-jangling win over Brighton into something resembling momentum.
Arsenal on the horizon
The timing of the change adds a twist. Martinez is set to wear his new No.1 shirt for the first time when Chelsea travel to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal, the club where he once served as a back-up and famously wore 26 in north London.
Different badge, different number, same defiant personality walking back into familiar territory.
Chelsea wanted a leader in goal. Now their No.1 walks into Arsenal with a point to prove and a new shirt on his back.
