Man City to rival Real Madrid and Barcelona for Girona wonderkid Arnau Martinez
Cameron Smith
- 22 Oct 2023 16:10 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester City are interested in rivalling Real Madrid and Barcelona for Girona defender Arnau Martinez as he continues to impress in Spain.
Martinez, 20, has already racked up over 100 appearances for Girona’s first-team and is seen as one of the most promising young full-backs in world football.
The Spain U21 international was courted by both Real Madrid and Barcelona during the summer, but neither club ended up pushing to sign him.
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Instead, Barca landed Joao Cancelo on loan from Manchester City, while Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid have persisted with Dani Carvajal at right-back and Lucas Vazquez as his back-up.
Martinez spent six years in Barcelona’s academy as a youngster, but left in 2016 before joining Girona two years later.
Now, the Spaniard is being closely watched by the Blaugrana and their Clasico rivals Real Madrid, as per 90min.
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Furthermore, 90min have also reported that Man City have joined the race to sign Martinez as Pep Guardiola looks to further strengthen his team.
Despite heavy links with a move to Bayern Munich, Kyle Walker stayed at Man City this summer and the England international has started every Premier League match so far this season. However, he is now 33 and Guardiola’s side are seemingly looking for a more long-term option.
Which teams are interested in signing Arnau Martinez?
Martinez currently plays for Girona, who are owned by the City Football Group, and Man City are tracking his progress in La Liga. According to 90min, they are interested in bringing the 20-year-old to the Etihad Stadium.
In addition, 90min have reported that Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern, Bayer Leverkusen, Napoli and Roma have all sent scouts to watch Martinez in action for Girona this season.
He has made five appearances for the Spanish side in 2023-24, providing one assist, as Girona sit second in La Liga.
