NOW WE GO Barcelona has paid Girona €30 million to sign the 19-year-old Spanish important player this summer.

According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Arnau Martinez is the subject of interest from Barcelona. And the Catalan giants are ready to fork out €30 million to secure his services in the ongoing transfer window. The 19-year-old Girona whizkid is an alternative to Barcelona’s top target Joao Cancelo.

Arnau Martinez is a native of Premia de Dalt in Catalonia and started his youth career in his hometown. But the Spanish wonderkid spent most of his formative years in Barcelona’s fabled La Masia setup. However, he did not graduate from La Masia, instead joining Hospitalet before turning professional at Girona FC

The teenage prodigy made his first-team debut for Girona as a 17-year-old in December 2020. And Martinez has come leaps and bounds since then, establishing himself as a regular for the Catalan club. And the 19-year-old enjoyed a solid 2022/23 campaign, chipping in with three goals and four assists in 35 appearances.

Martinez’s progress has not gone unnoticed, with several high-profile clubs setting their sights on him. And reports have primarily linked the Catalonia native with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. It seems both clubs are still pressing for his signature, with Barcelona ready to launch the offensive.

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The Catalan giants have already signed one player from Girona this summer, with Oriol Romeu rejoining them last month. And another former Barcelona academy prospect features on the club’s radar. The report has claimed that the reigning La Liga champions are ready to fork out a substantial sum to secure his services.

Fichajes has suggested that Barcelona will be ready to cough up €30 million to secure Martinez’s services this summer. But the claims are intriguing, considering they have not been open to paying anything close to that amount to sign another young right-back target, Ivan Fresneda. Meanwhile, Joao Cancelo is Barcelona’s priority target for the right-back berth.

Also Read: Barcelona’s Bold Short-Term Fix: Oriol Romeu, the new Midfield General set to fill Busquets’s shoes

Nonetheless, Barcelona might be ready to pay €30 million to sign Martinez. And it will be interesting to see if a summer move materialises for the 19-year-old Spanish whizkid. But Atletico Madrid might have something to say if the Catalan giants present an offer.