Ahtletic Bilbao star Javi Martinez has ruled out the possibility of making a move to the Premier League this summer amidst keen interest from Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City.
Martinez, 23, was one of the mainstays of the Bilbao side which finished runners up in the Europa League as well as in the Copa del Rey. The Manchester clubs have been hot in the trails of the talented young midfielder but the player has chosen to commit his future to Bilbao. Arsenal were also believed to have been considering the versatile Spaniard after cooling their interest in French midfielder Yann M’Vila.
But the Bilbao star who was part of Spain’s victorious Euro campaign and now headed for the London games, says “I do not see myself playing for them, I’m very happy at Athletic and I have a contract until 2016,” he was reported as saying in Spanish newspaper Marca.
“I have seen what’s in the newspaper and what it says on TV, but it is not always right. If we were to believe what is said then I would already have played in seven different teams. Each week it’s a different one.”
Martinez added that he would love to move to his boyhood club Osasuna in the final years of his football career.
“I would like to end my career at Osasuna for one or two years,” he said.