Spanish midfielder Javi Martinez ended his time at Bayern Munich as he is looking for the next adventure in his life. The 32-year-old is ending his 9-year spell with the german champions with many clubs showing interest in the midfielder.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Athletic Bilbao are interested in bringing back Martinez to Spain. It was from Athletic Bilbao that Bayern Munich signed Martinez, back in 2012.
Javi Martinez decided to run down his contract at Bayern after his game time diminished in Munich. He only played less than 500 minutes in his 19 appearances for Bayern in the Bundesliga this season. Injuries also became a factor in his reduced game time.
MARTINEZ SET TO LEAVE BAYERN MUNICH
Javi Martinez has been an excellent signing for Bayern Munich. He moved to Germany from Athletic Bilbao in the summer of 2012 for £40m. During his time in Germany, Martinez go on to win many trophies and was part of both the treble-winning seasons.
He played 268 times for Bayern in all competitions. During this time he scored 14 goals for them, playing at a deeper position. Martinez was a very versatile player. Apart from playing in his preferred defensive midfield role, the Spaniard was used in the center of the defence as well.
Injuries were one of the major issues for Martinez at Bayern. He missed many matches due to multiple injuries, including most of the 2014/15 campaign, when he suffered cruciate ligament rupture. This meant that Martinez never played more than 30 league matches in any of his seasons with Bayern.
REUNION WITH HIS FORMER CLUB?
With game time becoming very hard to come by, Martinez made the choice to leave Bayern this season. He is ready to listen to offers before deciding on his next move. There were talks of the midfielder leaving to Australia or the United States, but Atheltic Bilbao have become the current favorites for his signature.
Martinez had a history of playing with the Atheltic Bilbao. He was part of the Basque club from 2006 to 2012, where he made his name. He has played 250 times for them during this time, scoring 25 goals. This history is a reason why the club is looking to sign the Spaniard.
According to reports, Bilbao has offered an initial offer for Martinez. The two-year deal offered is supposed to earn him £2.5m per year. With the midfielder not in a hurry, one could expect more clubs to come forward for his signature.
