Liverpool FC have been linked with Spanish defender Inigo Martinez recently and according to reports in Marca, the Premier League club has already placed a a 20m (14.3m) bid for Real Sociedad’s centre back.
It was brought to the fore recently that the Spaniard was scouted by the English Premier League at Camp Nou last Saturday.
The 23-year-old came through the cluba s youth system before moving to Sociedada s B team in 2009. He impressed during those two years with the B team, which earned him a place in the Spanish sidea s first team. The defender has been an indispensible part of the first team since he broke in as a teenage in 2011.
Real Sociedad boss David Moyes has reportedly rejected the bid from Liverpool as he is an indispensable part of the side. The player does have a release clause of a 30m (A?21.4) and it seems that only then will the player be allowed to leave the club.
The media outlet believes that the Spaniard could be tempted by a move to the Merseysiders due to his relatively low a 1.2m annual salary. Add to that the glamour and attraction of England and a move could seriously be on the cards. Marca added that Liverpool are set to return with a second offer for young I igo Mart nez and that it could be it could be Brendan Rodgers’s intention to reunite I igo Mart nez with former Real Sociedad teammate Asier Illaramendi, who has also been heavily linked with the club as he is viewed as a replacement for Steven Gerrard.
Martineza s form in the last two years has got him the attention of Real Madrid, Manchester City and Barcelona among others.
Martinez’s form definitely makes one look at him as a good addition to the Liverpool squad that is looking to have a better 15/16 season and get back to the top-4. However, the player is a left sided centre back and the club already possesses big money signings Mamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren in that position. Granted the latter hasn’t been a hit since becoming Liverpool’s costliest ever defender, but he has looked more assured of late and the club management will definitely want to keep him for another season and see if he shows why they paid that kind of sum for him. Moreover, Mamadou Sakho has had a good season – until it was stopped by an injury – and the need to add someone in his position is not the necessity. Liverpool need to look at a right sided centre back first as Martin Skrtel is their only choice at the moment (with Kolo Toure probably leaving the club at the end of this season) and then think about adding another LCB, especially someone who is likely to cost a lot of money.
