€35 million and a strike from London! Chelsea enter the race for Barcelona defender
The transfer battle for Gerard Martin is heating up by the day.
Details: Chelsea have added Barcelona’s versatile defender Gerard Martin to their shortlist and are closely monitoring the situation. The London club has been drawn to Martin’s ability to operate both as a left-back and in the heart of defense.
However, AC Milan remain the front-runners for the Spaniard. The Rossoneri have already tabled a bid of around €20 million, but are now preparing to increase their offer to €35 million in a bid to convince the Catalan club to part ways with the defender.
Chelsea have yet to submit an official proposal, which means the Italian side still holds the edge in this transfer race.
The main obstacle to any potential deal remains the stance of Hansi-Dieter Flick. The Barcelona head coach values Martin’s tactical reliability highly and has asked the club’s management to reject any offers for the defender.
At the same time, Joan Laporta and Deco are forced to weigh the financial benefits of selling a homegrown talent. Gerard Martin’s contract with Barcelona runs until June 2028.
Reminder: Transfer in jeopardy? Barcelona stall deal for star player.
Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
