Barcelona Open Contract Talks with Gerard Martin

Even with the transfer window shut, Barcelona sporting director Deco is staying busy behind the scenes, and one of his latest tasks is sorting out a new contract for Gerard Martin.

Martin has become a regular starter over the past year, stepping into the gap left by Inigo Martinez's exit last summer after the club failed to bring in a replacement. He has done well in a shift to centre-back, and that form is why Barcelona are now ready to reward him with fresh terms.

His current deal runs until the summer of 2028, but with Chelsea and AC Milan previously showing interest in signing him, Barcelona have opened early talks over an extension. The move was first reported by MD's Fernando Polo and has since been confirmed by Fabrizio Romano.

"Gerard Martín, left-back and center-back capable of covering multiple positions, is in talks with Barça for a contract extension," Romano said, citing Polo's reporting. "As reported by Fernando Polo, the club is already exchanging with the player and his agents to prepare the negotiations. Nothing is done yet and Barça feels no urgency."

Romano added that there is a strong relationship behind the scenes between the player and the club. "The player is very happy at Barcelona, and the club greatly appreciates his development, his performances, and his potential," he said. "Internally, Barça is convinced that Gerard Martín will do very beautiful things at the club and knows that he will not create any problems during the negotiations. A contract extension therefore remains clearly a topic of discussion."

Martin has generally impressed when given chances under Hansi Flick, though he has also had some shaky moments along the way. He looks like a solid option to have in the squad, but if Barcelona want to give themselves the best possible chance in La Liga and the Champions League, they will likely still need to bring in an upgrade at some point in 2027.