Talented Spanish defender confirms Barcelona move was close this summer | OneFootball

Almeria right-back Marc Pubill has always been highly rated in Spain since his professional debut with Levante, and it looked like he would be making the jump to European football this summer. The 21-year-old was first on the verge of a move to Atalanta, before he was linked to Barcelona.

Pubill even traveled to Bergamo to complete the move, and it looked as if it would be done after a fee had been agreed. At the last minute, Atalanta pulled out of the deal, amid rumours that Pubill had failed his medical, related to a knee operation the previous year.

“I passed the medical check-up and the next day I was going to go to the club to do the media day and all that. They told me to come down and eat, which I hadn’t done yet. When I went up to see my family, they told me that there were problems and that they were trying to renegotiate things. We went to the hotel and there my representative told me that it had collapsed.”

Towards the final stages of the transfer window, Barcelona looked to move for him too.

“Yes, it was close. From the beginning we knew that it was complicated due to the issue of Barca’s fair play and in the end it didn’t happen, but it was close.

A move that Pubill was keen on.

Yes, yes (smiles). It’s always exciting,” he told Relevo.

The Olympic gold medallist also went into detail on his daily life as a footballer. He has tattoo saying ‘your comfort zone will kill you’, a quote from the film ‘300’.

“[I hang out with] With everyone! But it is true that many have children… and I usually hang out with young people: Arribas, Melamed, last season with Largie (Ramazani)… My day to day life is simple. I wake up, I have a bathtub of cold water at home, I get in it, I take the dog out, I make coffee with my girlfriend, I train, I eat, I take a nap and I train again. When there are three or four days left until the game I like to analyze the rivals. I open Wyscout with my father and start watching the opponents.”

The Blaugrana have made the right-back and left-back position two of their priorities for next summer, and should Pubill continue to perform, it cannot be ruled out that he will remain on their agenda. Unless Almeria gain promotion this season, it seems likely Pubill will attract suitors once more.