Barcelona rekindle interest in Girona right-back Arnau Martinez | OneFootball

Barcelona have revived their interest in Girona youngster Arnau Martinez as they look to land a new right-back before the end of the transfer window, as per Mundo Deportivo.

The Catalan giants have been tracking Martinez for a while but couldn’t proceed with a deal due to their financial limitations.

Having added Ilkay Gundogan, Inigo Martinez, Vitor Roque and Oriol Romeu to their squad, head coach Xavi feels a right-back will be the final piece of the puzzle in the transfer window.

The Catalan giants are also confident that the impending departures of Ousmane Dembele, Clement Lenglet and Franck Kessie will provide them the leeway to invest in a right-back.

Joao Cancelo and Ivan Fresneda are on top of the wishlist, while Martinez has also re-emerged as a potential target for the Catalan giants.

After helping Girona gain promotion to the Spanish top flight in the 2021/22 season, the 20-year-old carried on his impressive form in La Liga last term.

The Spanish youngster made 35 appearances in all competitions, netting three goals and four assists.

He also featured in the U21 European Championship, where La Roja finished as runners-up.

Martinez has also caught the attention of Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, but they haven’t made a concrete approach.

With a contract running until 2025, Martinez is valued at around €20 million.

Barca recently traded with their Catalan rivals for Romeu in a transfer operation which also saw Pablo Torre head in the other direction.

However, Girona were unhappy with Barca snatching Romeu, and it remains to be seen whether they will agree to do business again with their city rivals.

Despite sanctioning the sale of Dembele to Paris Saint-Germain, the Blaugrana are prioritising a new right-back instead of a winger.

However, the Catalan giants are monitoring Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix and Manchester City star Bernardo Silva, who they have identified to replace Dembele.