Emiliano Martinez confirms Arsenal exit on Instagram with goalkeeper set to join Aston Villa

Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez looks set to join Aston Villa after confirming he is leaving the club on Instagram.

The Argentine stopper, who joined the Gunners in 2010 from Independiente, was loaned out six times before finally breaking into the first team under Mikel Arteta last season and was in goal for their FA Cup triumph against Chelsea.

But with Bernd Leno set to take back the No.1 spot in goal, Martinez has opted for a new challenge. Reports suggest he is set to join Aston Villa in a £20m deal, with Arsenal reportedly set to replace him with Runar Alex Runarsson.

Martinez shared a video on Instagram titled 'Thank You Arsenal'.

"For me, I could not be happier to leave through the front door with the Arsenal fanbase supporting me and the club supporting me," he said.

"I had 11 years at the club, and even if it was a hard road for me, and I suffered through my time at Arsenal, today I am happy and I tried to show young goalies how work pays off. When you work hard, you are not going to be happy the whole time, you are going to have frustration, bad times in life.

"They all understood at Arsenal and they support me for my decision. The Arsenal fanbase were always there for me, I felt their love.

"Even when Bernd got injured this season, I received loads of messages like 'we trust in you,' 'you are our goalie'. That made me confident, made me win games and made me the keeper I am today.

"They understood my story and they love the way I worked in the club. I am so glad to be part of the Arsenal family for 11 years."