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€37m Bid Could See Arsenal Miss Out On Spanish Midfielder

By on May 10, 2014

Arsenal look set to miss out on the signing of Javi Martinez with Barcelona ready to launch a €37m bid for the unsettled Bayern Munich ace, according to reports.

We were linked with a move for Martinez last week after it emerged the Spanish international has become increasingly frustrated at his lack of playing time under Pep Guardiola this season.

The 25-year-old was a key player under former boss Jupp Heynkes last year following his £32m move from Athletic Bilbao, as he helped lead the side to a historic treble.

However, he’s found first team football harder to come by under Guardiola and was completely overlooked in both Champions League semi finals against Real Madrid, and reports suggest he’s instructed his agent to seek a move away at the end of the season.

Lars Bender was understood to be Arsene Wenger’s first choice target as he looks to strengthen our central midfield options this summer, but the German claimed last week that he ‘wasn’t ready to join a big club yet’ and plans to remain at Bayer Leverkusen.

This snub led to interest in Martinez with newspapers suggesting we had enquired about his availability, but it looks like we could be set to miss out again with the Daily Mail claiming that Barcelona are set to table a €37m bid, and the player is believed to prefer a switch to the Nou Camp.

Barca are on the look out for a ball-playing centre-back to replace Carles Puyol and although Martinez is predominantly regarded as a defensive midfielder, he’s equally capable of playing at the back, so he should be able to fit right in with the La Liga giants style of play.

I’ll be hugely disappointed if this report is accurate as Martinez would have been the perfect addition to our squad, but it’s going to be difficult to compete with the Catalans if they’ve joined the race for his signature.

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