Barcelona Transfer News: Spanish Giants Should Not Waste Time on Javi Martinez

Barcelona would be a perfect fit for Atletico Bilbao midfielder Javi Martinez. However, the team must move on from any hopes of signing him, as his club is not willing to sell, and he does not want to leave.

Martinez told Antena 3 (via Sky Sports), a Spanish TV station, “I'm very happy at Athletic. I have a contract until 2016. I have seen the newspapers and what it says on TV, but it is not always right.”

The defensive center midfielder is a perfect player to help anchor the Barcelona midfield. Like current players Sergio Busquets and Javier Mascherano, he is capable of playing along the back line as well. He was trusted to play in both positions for Bilbao this past season during his 31 La Liga appearances.

Martinez was selected to the Spain side that won Euro 2012, but he only saw the pitch once during the tournament. Still, the 23-year-old is a rising star, and he will receive his chance to play a prominent role for the national side in the near future.

He is a fierce tackler who is tall and extremely strong in the air. His defensive skills are excellent, but he is also calm on the ball, completing 84.3 percent of his passes in league matches, according to Whoscored.com. 

Unfortunately for Barcelona, Bilbao knows all this far too well. According to Goal.com’s Mark Doyle, the Europa League runners-up will not part ways with Martinez for anything less than the €40 million mark set in the player’s buyout clause. 

Doyle quotes Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummeniggem telling German newspaper TZ, “That's an amount of money that hasn't existed in Germany before. There is no club in Europe that is willing to pay that price. I have a good relationship with Barcelona, and Barcelona aren't prepared to do so.”

Martinez’s skills cannot be doubted. He is young, talented and has already proven that he can be effective at multiple positions.

His deft touch and terrific tackling ability make him a perfect fit for in Barça’s midfield, but the climate surrounding his transfer is anything but ideal.

Unless there is a drastic shift in the position Martinez or his club is currently taking, Barcelona would be wise to keep its focus elsewhere in the transfer market.