FC Barcelona is preparing to launch a new attack on the promising midfielder Sergio Martinez, 19 years old, from Racing Santander, in a second attempt to sign the Spanish talent after negotiations failed last January, amid competition from traditional rival Real Madrid and other European clubs, in a deal aimed at strengthening the reserve team's ranks in preparation for his promotion to the first team in the future.
According to the Spanish newspaper "Sport", the task will not be easy for the Catalan club, as Racing Santander renewed their player's contract last November until 2029 after it was scheduled to end in 2027, and raised the release clause value to 3 million euros, in a move that reflects the Cantabrian club's attachment to their rising talent.
Although Racing Santander is open to the possibility of selling the midfielder from Laredo, the club sets strict conditions including obtaining a high percentage of any future sale, which complicates the ongoing negotiations between the two parties, especially as they coincide with other talks regarding signing his teammate Jorge Salinas, whom Racing insists on paying his full release clause of 16 million euros.
Reports indicate that Barcelona holds the advantage in the race over Real Madrid, which has shown interest in Martinez but has not submitted concrete offers at the same level as the Catalan club, while other information points to a third European club closely monitoring the situation.
Martinez, the Spanish under-19 international, is one of the most prominent rising talents in Spanish football, having played 13 matches with Racing Santander's first team last season (10 in the Segunda División and 3 in the Copa del Rey), in addition to 18 matches with the reserve team after his promotion from the youth categories.
The central midfielder stands out for his high competitive spirit and his willingness to engage in physical duels despite his height of 1.85 meters, and he is praised for his good ball control and tactical positioning, in a rare mix of physical and technical abilities that prompted the club to convert him from an attacking midfielder to a defensive midfielder, the position in which he has focused his efforts on developing his defensive skills.
For Barcelona Atlètic, the signing of Martinez represents an important qualitative addition, especially after the end of the presence of players like Brian Fariñas and Tommy Márquez in the reserve team, as the former appears set to move to the first team while the latter will have to look for an exit, opening the door for new blood to strengthen the second team's ranks.