After swiping La Masia talent Dro Fernandez from Barcelona in January, Paris Saint-Germain now have one of Real Madrid’s starlets in their sights. The Blaugrana were unhappy to see one of their brightest young players depart, but PSG will have more of a battle on their hands to wrest Joan Martinez from Los Blancos’ grip.
As explained by Marca, PSG Sporting Director Luis Campos has set his sights on Martinez as a potential option this summer. They have been following his progress for some time, and several months ago were informed of the terms of his contract. With a deal running until 2029, Martinez has a release clause of €150m, that means PSG would have to negotiate a deal with Real Madrid in order to sign Martinez.
That said, the Madrid-based paper say that Martinez’s place at Real Madrid is not set in stone this summer. They say that along with fellow Castilla talents Diego Aguado and Victor Valdepenas, Martinez could be allowed to leave this summer, although only if Real Madrid’s first team is covered by the five centre-back options they want for next season. Currently, Eder Militao and Dean Huijsen are the only guarantees in that regard.
Los Blancos have made a habit of selling starlets for a lower fee with a 50% sell-on fee and a buyback option, as is the case with Jacobo Ramon and Nico Paz, but in this instance, Real Madrid would only consider a large transfer fee. That formula would not be on the table in a deal with PSG.
Two summers ago, Martinez began preseason with the senior side as a 16-year-old, before an anterior cruciate ligament injury ruled him out for much of the season. It was expected that this season he would be gradually introduced into the first team, but on several occasions Aguado and Valdepenas have been preferred. Despite a good season with Castilla, Martinez is not guaranteed opportunities next season either.
