Aston Villa have reportedly joined the mix to sign Athletic Club defender Inigo Martinez, though FC Barcelona remain the clear favourites to land the 31-year-old.
According El Desmarque, the Bilbao centre-back has caught the eye of Unai Emery as Martinez looks set to leave Athletic at the end of this season as a free agent, with Barcelona leading the charge to sign the Villa target, with Athletico Madrid also interested in the Spanish international.
Martinez has been one of the most consistent defenders in La Liga for well over a decade, with the centre-back thriving at Athletic as well as at Basque rivals Real Sociedad from 2011 to 2018. However, a move away from northern Spain now looks likely for the player.
As per the report, Barcelona have been heavily linked with a move for Martinez this season as Xavi Hernandez looks to sign the defensive rock as a short-term replacement for Gerard Pique, who retired from football earlier in the campaign, leaving Barca short at the back.
Indeed, Martinez would be a fine signing for Barcelona, yet with Villa now in the race for the defender, the La Liga leaders could face a battle with the Premier League to land the 31-year-old, who could be tempted with a move to England as his final big career move.
With Emery at the helm for Villa, as well, the Spanish manager has the pulling power to lure Martinez to Villa Park in what could be an outstanding free-agent signing for the club, with the defender exactly the sort of player the Birmingham-based side could be looking at in the summer.
Villa have strong case to sign Martinez despite Barcelona interest
The wealth Premier League clubs possess was made very evident in the January transfer window, with English sides blowing the rest of Europe out of the water with a record-breaking level of spending. And this summer could see this go up another level, and this might give Villa the edge over Barcelona in signing Martinez.
As we know, Emery’s side already have the pull of both the manager himself and the prospect of playing in the Premier League, and with VIlla able to match Martinez’s demands and potentially exceed what Barcelona are offering, the Villa Park side could easily land the defender despite the competition.
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