Barcelona long term target opens up on joining Real Madrid in the summer amid Barca talks for a possible return.
Arnau Martinez, a defender for Girona, stated in an exclusive interview with AS that despite his prior connections to Barcelona, he will not rule out a future move to Real Madrid.
Martinez was a part of Barça’s La Masia youth program for a number of years before signing with Girona in 2018 after spending two years with L’Hospitalet.
The 19-year-old has made steady progress at the Catalan club, contributed significantly to their promotion to La Liga, and performed admirably in his first season in the Spanish top division.
Martinez has since been linked with a return to Barcelona, who are looking for a new right-back, as a result. The 19-year-old has also recently acknowledged how eager he would be to return to the boyhood club.
Martinez has now insisted, however, that he won’t rule out moving to Real Madrid merely because of his past association with Barcelona.
I never shut the door behind anyone. Whether it’s Madrid, Barça, or another team, what I want is to compete in the best way I can for that team, Martinez said.
Martinez, a right-back by trade, can also play in the center of defense. When he was able to silence Vinicius Junior during Girona’s La Liga match against Real Madrid this season, the teenager displayed strong performance.
Martinez continued, “It was a great experience in a unique stadium, the best there will be in the coming years,” in reference to his time spent playing at the Bernabeu. Coming out of the locker room and hearing everyone sing the national anthem is impressive.
“Fortunately, I didn’t get wrinkled by that. I perform the same whether I’m playing on a field made of artificial turf or at the Bernabeu.
Martinez’s contract with Girona contains a €20 million release clause. Real Madrid has not shown any interest, but the defender won’t rule out moving to the Bernabeu if the opportunity arises.
