Athletic Club eyeing cut-price summer deal for Girona midfielder | OneFootball

Athletic Club are well on course to qualify for next season’s Champions League, and should that happen, they will have money to spend in the summer. Ernesto Valverde’s squad has shown itself to be very strong in recent months, although there is no doubt that extra quality can be added.

Because of the club’s well-documented transfer policy, there is not a wide array of players that Athletic’s sporting department can target, but there is still plenty at their disposal. And one of those that has attracted significant attention over the last 12-18 months is Girona midfielder Ivan Martin.

As far back as January 2024 was when Athletic’s interest in Martin was first reported, and it has returned until this day. There was efforts made to sign him last summer, but the fact that Girona were in the Champions League went against Los Leones, who only managed to qualify for this season’s Europa League.

But things are different now, and the advantage this summer will be with Athletic – and it is one that they intend to use. According to ED, club officials have not forgotten about Martin, and a move in 2025 is being planned. For now, they are waiting to see whether Girona qualify for European competition, because the belief is that a cut-price deal can be secured if the Catalans miss out altogether.

It is worth remembering that Martin signed a new contract with Girona earlier in the season, and that increased his release clause to €20m. However, Athletic believe that he can be signed for less that this amount if Michel Sanchez’s side cannot finish inside La Liga’s European places at the end of the current campaign.

The problem for Athletic could come with Villarreal, who are also on course for Champions League qualification. They can sign Martin for €6m as per a buy-back clause, and they could look to activate that in the summer.