Barcelona have no intention of letting star leave this summer despite interest from PL: Reports

Barcelona have reportedly made a decision on defender Gerard Martin despite the Spaniard attracting interest from the Premier League. The 23-year-old left-back made his first-team debut last season.

In 42 appearances across competitions, he has bagged a goal and six assists. That lone strike - along with three assists - in 28 outings came in La Liga, which Hansi Flick's side won, along with the Supercopa Espana and the Copa del Rey to clinch the domestic treble.

As per SPORT, who made his Spain U21 debut in the U21 European Championship, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bournemouth were said to be interested in his services. However, the publication has also reported that Barca have decided to keep the player, who featured as a centre-back in the friendly against FC Seoul.

Having recovered from a hand injury, Martin is expected to play a role for Flick's side next season, but his registration as a first-team player is pending, with the Spaniard now no longer eligible to play for the club's reserve team.

It's pertinent to note that Martin provided an assist in Barca's Copa del Rey extra-time win over arch-rivals Real Madrid. He also registered two assists in the UEFA Champions League semi-final second-leg home defeat to Inter Milan, which Barca lost 4-3 on the night (7-6 on aggregate) after leading 6-5 with minutes to go.

What's next for Barcelona?

Following a successful 2024-25 campaign, Barcelona commenced their preparations for the new season with a 3-1 win over Vissel Kobe at Misaki Park on July 26.

That was followed by a rousing 7-3 win over FC Seoul in the South Korean capital five days later, with Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres bagging braces either side of the break.

Hansi Flick's side next take on Daegu FC in Daegu on Monday (August 4) to end their Asian tour. They commence their La Liga title defence at Mallorca on August 19. They travel to Levante on August 23 for their next league engagement before a third straight road outing in La Liga, this time at Rayo Vallecano on August 31.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 20 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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Edited by Bhargav