Emiliano Martinez has changed his shirt number at Chelsea just one match into his time at the club. The Argentine goalkeeper initially donned the number 26, a number that was famously worn by club legend John Terry during his tenure. However, following Robert Sanchez’s loan move to Como, Martinez has opted to claim the coveted number one spot.
Martinez joined Chelsea from Aston Villa for a fee of £7.5 million and made his debut in a thrilling 4-3 victory against Brighton.
Originally, the 26-year-old had chosen the number 26 to honour Terry, and he had even spoken to the former captain about it before his move:
I spoke to John before the transfer, and he was really pleased to see me here. On the morning of the signing, I texted him, saying: ‘I will play under your number and wear it with pride.’
However, with Sanchez now on loan, the number one jersey became available. Chelsea have officially confirmed that Martinez will be wearing the number one shirt moving forward.
The club also announced that they will not be exchanging any pre-purchased shirts featuring Martinez's name and number 26. Instead, the goalkeeper has offered to personally sign those shirts if they were purchased from the official Chelsea store. Fans can bring their shirts to Stamford Bridge, along with proof of purchase, until October 4th.
Chelsea's next match sees them face Arsenal away, which is particularly interesting for Martinez as it’s against his former club.
