"There were contacts with Barça. Of course, but I also told my agents not to get too excited. I was very clear that Athletic were not going to let me leave if a club did not come and pay the €40 million of the termination clause."
"Bayern were very clear that they wanted me, especially Heynckes. In the end, they paid the €40 million release clause and that's why I went to Germany. Not everyone understood my departure in Bilbao, but it was an incredible opportunity."
"They told me to hold on for another year and leave with a title, but it was time to leave. I could have been injured and the following season, not even the team of your town loves you."
Javi Martinez, a decorated player in Spanish football, revealed that Barcelona showed interest in him during his time at Athletic Club. He stated that he informed his agents not to get overly excited, as Athletic would not let him leave without a club meeting his €40 million release clause. Barcelona's unwillingness to pay this amount led to their proposal being disregarded. Ultimately, Bayern Munich paid the release clause, allowing Martinez to join them, which he viewed as an incredible opportunity despite the difficulty of leaving Bilbao.
Read at Barca Universal
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