Barcelona set to sign 21-year-old midfielder on free transfer: Reports

Barcelona are all set to sign former Espanyol midfielder Roger Martinez on a Bosman move this summer, according to Pericos Marca via Mundo Deportivo. The LaLiga champions already roped in Joan Garcia from their local rivals this summer, a move that didn't go down well with Espanyol.

The Spanish custodian arrived as a long-term replacement for Marc-Andre ter Stegen this summer. The German goalkeeper, interestingly, is all set to go under the knife to address a back issue.

The surgery is all set to keep the player out of action for around four months, further complicating the Catalans' efforts to move him on. Garcia, meanwhile, is expected to make the No. 1 position his own.

The 24-year-old was outstanding for Espanyol last season, prompting Barcelona to trigger his release clause. The Spanish champions are all set to further infuriate their bitter rivals by making a move for Martinez.

The 21-year-old central midfielder spent last season on loan at Lugo, and his contract with Espanyol expired at the end of last month. Martinez is set to join the Catalans' reserves team, but will have the chance to earn a call-up to the senior side.

Barcelona have a tendency to provide talented youngsters the step up to the first team squad. New Barca Athletic signing Roony Bardghji has apparently impressed Hansi Flick and is already training with the senior side. With time, there's hope that Martinez could also do the same.

Will Andreas Christensen leave Barcelona this summer?

Andreas Christensen has received offers to leave Barcelona this summer, according to Mundo Deportivo. The Danish defender has entered the final year of his contract at Camp Nou and hasn't been offered a new deal yet.

Christensen is a long way down the pecking order under Hansi Flick at the moment. Inigo Martinez and Pau Cubarsi remain the first choice centerback pairing, while the German manager also has Ronald Araujo and Eric Garcia on his roster.

As such, the Catalans are apparently ready to let Christensen go before the start of the new season to open up space in their wage bill. The 29-year-old endured an injury-ravaged 2024-25 campaign with the LaLiga champions, managing just six appearances across competitions.

Despite his struggles, the former Chelsea man is not short of options at the moment. However, Andreas Christensen has no desire to leave Barcelona right now, and wants to stay and fight for his place in the team.

About the author

Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over seven years at Sportskeeda. He has written more than 9000 articles for the website, and has garnered over 20 million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.

Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.

Know More

Edited by Deepungsu Pandit