Chelsea’s new goalkeeper has walked straight into a legacy.
Martinez will wear the No.26 shirt at Stamford Bridge, a number that does not simply sit on a team sheet at this club. It belongs to the mythology of Chelsea, bound up with John Terry, the captain who lifted almost everything there was to win in that blue shirt.
Since Terry’s farewell in 2017, 26 has felt almost semi-retired. It flickered briefly on the backs of Kalidou Koulibaly and Levi Colwill, but never long enough to redefine it. Now it returns to centre stage, on the shoulders of a World Cup-winning Argentine determined to make his own imprint.
Stepping into Terry’s shadow
Squad numbers can be throwaway details. Not this one. At Chelsea, 26 carries a weight that goes beyond superstition or habit; it represents leadership, durability, and a certain defiance that Terry embodied for nearly two decades.
Martinez knows exactly what he is stepping into. He has worn 26 before on loan spells, but this is different. This is the 26. At Chelsea. Terry’s number.
So before committing to it, he went straight to the source.
The pair built a relationship at Aston Villa, where Terry worked on the coaching staff during Martinez’s time there. That history mattered. The goalkeeper wanted permission, not headlines. Respect, not controversy.
"John was someone I spoke to before I joined, and he said he was over the moon to have me here," Martinez explained. From their time together at Villa, Terry already knew the keeper’s standards, his intensity, his ability to command a dressing room. That gave Martinez the confidence to make the call on the morning he signed.
"I texted him and said, 'I'm wearing your shirt, and I'm going to do it with pride'."
It was more than a polite gesture. It was a statement of intent: he is not just here to fill a squad role. He is here to lead.
A transfer that exploded into life
The move itself barely gave anyone time to process it. Chelsea had projected calm over their goalkeeping situation, publicly backing their options. Then doubts crept in over recent performances, and the tone shifted.
Once the decision was made, the deal accelerated. Chelsea moved decisively to secure the Argentina international for £7.5 million, a fee that looks modest in a market where reliable goalkeepers are increasingly scarce.
For Martinez, the switch felt like the culmination of a long journey rather than a sudden detour. He has spent almost 17 years in English football, grafting his way through loans, fighting for starting spots, building a reputation as a big-game presence.
"To play for Chelsea is a dream for me," he said. "It’s been an amazing few days. Obviously, it happened really quickly, but I'm delighted to be at this football club."
The speed of the transfer only sharpened the emotion. One minute, he was a settled figure elsewhere; the next, he was walking into Cobham, pulling on a shirt that carries one of the club’s most powerful associations.
Thrown straight into the fire
There was no gentle introduction. No quiet cup tie. No late cameo.
Martinez went straight into the starting XI for a chaotic 4-3 win over Brighton, a game that felt like a stress test of his temperament as much as his reflexes. Three goals flew past him, but that only tells part of the story.
In the frantic exchanges that defined the match, he produced crucial saves that kept Chelsea in front when the game threatened to unravel. Those interventions, in a new shirt, behind a defence still learning his voice, mattered more than a clean sheet ever would have.
The message was clear: he is not here to watch.
Robert Sanchez still owns the No.1 jersey and remains a significant figure in the squad, but the dynamic has changed. With Martinez in the building, the goalkeeping position suddenly looks like one of the most fiercely contested roles at the club.
Chelsea have not just signed another pair of gloves. They have added a personality, a competitor, and a player unafraid to take on the burden of a number forever linked with one of their greatest captains.
Now comes the real question: can Martinez turn 26 from a memory of Terry into the emblem of a new leader at Stamford Bridge?
