Arbeloa pushes for Arnau Martínez, Valencia optimistic over deal | OneFootball

Arnau Martínez is close to joining Valencia, with the player intent on the move and right-back a priority for Ron Gourlay. Talks have taken longer than he would have liked.

According to Superdeporte, Fulham entered the race in recent hours, with the defender admired by Álvaro Arbeloa, yet the player’s preference appears clear and a deal between clubs is nearly done. Only payment of his release clause by the English side could stop it from Girona’s end.

Valencia are set to pay around €6 million plus a small add-on to Girona, a rare outlay in recent years. The club have not spent more on a single fee since 2022, when André Almeida cost €8 million. It follows roughly €4 million paid to Tokyo for Ryunosuke Sato this summer.

Agreement with the 23-year-old has been in place for weeks. If nothing unravels late on, Carlos Corberán will gain a reliable right-back who can also cover at centre-back.

Arnau captained Girona in their last LaLiga match and was applauded by the home crowd. His mother, active on social media, expressed pride in his professionalism and in always giving everything without expecting anything in return.

Source: Superdeporte

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”