Gerard Martín has been one of the season's biggest revelations for FC Barcelona. In a campaign marked by inconsistency and injuries, especially Alejandro Balde's, the young left-back who came up from Barça Atlètic has stepped up.
Wolverhampton has positioned itself as one of the clubs most interested in acquiring his services. This was reported by the specialized journalist Matteo Moretto, who states that the English club has already started preliminary talks to explore a possible deal.
a meteoric rise
Gerard Martín has played 42 official matches this season, spread across LaLiga, Champions, Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup. He has started in 28 league games, 8 Champions matches—including high-profile games such as against PSG—5 Copa matches, and one in the Super Cup, delivering convincing performances in almost all of them.
His only goal came in the Copa, and he has provided six assists throughout the season. Beyond the numbers, what has most surprised the technical staff is his ability to integrate into top-level dynamics with unusual speed. His tactical discipline, ability to read the game, and well-measured aggression in one-on-one situations have led Flick to trust him as a reliable option when Balde was injured.
Barça's dilemma: continuity or sale
Under normal circumstances, a player with this performance and potential would be untouchable. However, FC Barcelona remains trapped in a financial situation that forces them to make pragmatic, even painful, decisions. Gerard Martín is not on the list of transferable players.
Gerard's contract situation also plays a key role. His contract is still that of a transitional player between the reserve team and the first team, which makes him a highly desired asset: top-level performance at a low salary cost. In the Premier League, such a profile is pure gold.
Grimaldo, the name that resurfaces
If Gerard Martín ends up leaving, Barça has no intention of standing idly by. Although Hansi Flick doesn't consider strengthening the full-back positions a priority this summer, he has requested to have reliable alternatives to support Alejandro Balde, especially considering his injury history.
In that context, a familiar name has resurfaced strongly: Alejandro Grimaldo. Trained at La Masia and currently playing for Bayer Leverkusen, Grimaldo has had a spectacular season in the Bundesliga, being a key piece in Xabi Alonso's system.
His technical profile, experience in European competitions, and knowledge of the club make him the ideal candidate if a spot opens up at left-back. The sporting management has already sounded out his camp and would be willing to negotiate with Leverkusen if Wolverhampton completes the signing of Gerard.
In other words, Grimaldo's future at Barça depends almost exclusively on what happens with Gerard Martín in the coming weeks. The market has started to move, and the first domino piece is already wobbling.