Julen Lopetegui’s West Ham set their sights on Girona full-back | OneFootball

When looking to make improvements to any squad, many teams have been looking toward Girona who were La Liga’s surprise package last season.

This is no different for Julen Lopetegui, who is anticipating his first season at the helm of London outfit West Ham, after joining the club in May.

As per Diario SPORT, the player in question is Arnau Martínez, a 21-year-old who has played for Girona’s first team for the past four seasons.

The youngster made 26 appearances last season as Girona finished in third place and achieved Champions League qualification for the first time in their history.

This isn’t the first time this season that Girona have been raided for their talent from last season, as La Liga top scorer Atrem Dovbyk and Brazilian Yan Couto have already departed the Catalan club.

Interestingly, the Brazilian was also the man who displaced Martínez from his role as a winger in Michel’s squad for two seasons.

Rather than stay and fight to regain his spot, reports indicate that the Premier League could be on the horizon for the young man, who also plays at under-21 level for Spain.

Martínez’s contract is set to expire in 2025, meaning that there are endless possibilities for the young full-back’s future, with Girona expected to monitor interest from West Ham to decide their next steps.

GSFN | Ciaran Currie