Barcelona will reportedly have to fend off competition from Premier League clubs to sign 19-year-old Spanish defensive sensation Arnau Martinez from Girona.
According to a report by Spanish publication AS, Barcelona will not be the only club pursuing Arnau Martinez next year. Several Premier League and Bundesliga clubs also want to sign the Spanish defensive sensation, who has a release clause worth €20 million in his Girona contract.
Arnau Martinez has taken little time to establish himself as one of the best full-backs in La Liga. The 19-year-old has been a solid performer since earning his first-team debut for Girona in December 2020. And Martinez is now a regular for the Catalan outfit in the Spanish top flight.
The Spanish defensive sensation is enjoying a solid 2022/23 campaign, turning out 12 times for Girona while chipping in with two goals and one assist. Martinez’s progress has not gone unnoticed either, with Barcelona considering signing him next summer.
Barcelona lost Dani Alves as a free agent in the summer transfer window, with the Brazilian veteran departing with a sour taste in his mouth. In addition, the Blaugrana allowed Sergino Dest to join AC Milan on loan for the 2022/23 season. And after signing Hector Bellerin on the deadline day, Xavi Hernandez has two options at his disposal.
The other right-back in Xavi’s squad is Sergi Roberto. But Bellerin’s sub-par performances and Roberto’s poor fitness record have forced the Barcelona boss to use makeshift options as right-backs. The Catalan giants thus want to sign Arnau Martinez in the 2023 summer transfer window.
The 19-year-old Spanish defensive sensation previously spent six years at Barcelona’s famed academy, La Masia. And he might be in line to rejoin the Blaugrana next summer. But Barcelona will face stiff competition from Premier League clubs in the race to sign Arnau Martinez from Girona.
While the report does not specify a club, several teams in the Premier League desperately need to sign a right-back. In addition, Barcelona will also have to fend off competition from Bundesliga outfits. Meanwhile, Girona might point to Martinez’s release clause, worth €20 million, to part ways with him.
It will be interesting to see if Premier League and Bundesliga clubs can usurp Barcelona in the race to sign Arnau Martinez. The release clause, worth €20 million, might not pose a problem for any team to land the 19-year-old Spanish defensive sensation.
