Athletic Club’s interest in Aymeric Laporte
Ernesto Valverde finds himself facing a signing on a silver platter, but a very controversial one. After the great interest of Athletic Club in Aymeric Laporte and the apparent ruled out arrival of the Spanish international, the Lion club has the possibility of signing Iñigo Martínez back. The future of the Basque central defender at Barça is becoming complicated and, as Mundo Deportivo reveals, the Blaugrana technical office values Eric Garcia’s great season at Girona very positively, to the point of not ruling out his return to the club.
Eric Garcia’s good image harms Iñigo Martínez
Eric Garcia’s neatness in releasing the ball and his good defensive performance have been one of the pillars for Míchel this season. The center back from Martorell has felt very comfortable in the axis of Girona’s defense and has shown his worth with his performances. Furthermore, Eric Garcia has stood out as a scorer, scoring 5 goals last season, which has increased his price on the market. Barça sees in him a promising talent who has shown leadership since his time at La Masia.
The change of expectations at Barça
Initially, Barça was considering the possibility of paying more than 20 million euros for Iñigo Martínez, which sparked the interest of PSG and Girona. However, according to the aforementioned source, expectations at the Blaugrana club have changed. Now, if the Catalan central defender stays in the team, he will have a salary significantly lower than that of Iñigo Martínez. This is because the Basque arrived at the Camp Nou as a free agent and received an increasing salary during the second and final year of his contract. With the aim of generating financial fair play and allowing other incorporations, Barça must take advantage of any possible measure.
The possible return of Iñigo Martínez to Athletic Club
If Iñigo Martínez decides to return to Athletic Club, he will be reunited with fans who have bad memories of his departure. Although his continuity at Barça is in doubt, his future is not yet defined and everything will depend on the decisions made by the club and the player.
