Athletic Bilbao hope to bring Javi Martinez back from Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich defensive midfielder Javi Martinez is on the radar of his former club, Spanish side Athletic Bilbao.
The transfer rumors are coming thick and fast for Bayern Munich, who have been linked with numerous players in the past few weeks. The Bavarians are reportedly hoping trying to sign a couple of players in the January transfer window to avoid competition from other European clubs in the summer.
The German champions will also be looking to sell a few players in either this window or the next to make room for new players as part of their squad overhaul.
Javi Martinez is one of the few players for whom Bayern will reportedly listen to offers in the summer. The Spanish midfielder has emerged as a transfer target for his former club, Athletic Bilbao. Speaking to Cadena Ser, Athletic Bilbao’s Sporting Director Raul Alkorta insisted they are interested in bringing back some of their former players, giving a list that included Javi Martinez.
"“We are interested in Javi Martinez, Ibai, Ander Herrera, Fernando Llorente. We’re interested in all of them.“We still haven’t made progress. We’ll get together on Tuesday to see what can be done. I have just returned, and this week we will look at our options.”"
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Martinez joined Bayern in 2012 for a then club record transfer fee of €40 million. The Spaniard has been a vital player for Die Roten for the past seven years. He was the final piece of Jupp Heynckes’ team in 2013 that went on to win the historic treble. The Spain international has made 198 appearances since joining the Bavarians, as injuries have plagued him for the past handful of seasons.
Though more naturally a defensive midfielder, Javi Martinez has also been used heavily as a center-back during his time in Bavaria. However, Niko Kovac has only used him as a rotational player this season.
The Croatian has preferred Joshua Kimmich and Thiago Alcantara in midfield, most often alongside Leon Goretzka. Kovac has affirmed he won’t use Martinez in central defense, though, unless there is a major injury crisis in the position.
Martinez has steadily declined in recent years. He’s 30-years-old and his current contract at the club is set to expire in 2021. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him leave, and Bayern could get a decent fee for him due to his long contract should they decide to offload him in the summer. Moreover, a return to Bilbao would be the ideal move for Martinez at this stage in his career.
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Bayern Munich have been linked with a few holding midfielders in the past few months. Frenkie De Jong is reportedly one of the main transfer targets for the Bavarians in the midfield department. It would take a huge offer from Bayern to prise the 21-year-old midfielder from Ajax. They have also been lately linked with Bordeaux midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni. Bayern could also move Joshua Kimmich permanently into midfield, as they are eyeing moves for Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard. Martinez has been a fine player in Bavaria, but the time is right to part ways for all parties.