Barcelona Signs in Second Division: $15m to Say Goodbye to Héctor Fort and Gerard Martín

Barça's sports management doesn't stop working to strengthen the squad for the next season and make it more competitive. In this regard, Hansi Flick has made an express request to the club: the reinforcement of the full-backs.

On the right, for example, Jules Koundé has played practically everything since Héctor Fort isn't in Flick's plans. To date, the homegrown player has played 14 matches in all competitions but has only accumulated 465 minutes of play. In most matches, he has come on as a substitute, playing the final moments.

Meanwhile, the case of Gerard Martín is different: he has established himself as the natural substitute for Alejandro Balde on the left-back and his prominence has been greater. The former Cornellà player has played 23 matches with a total of 837 minutes played, which has earned him his first professional contract and a renewal until 2028. However, despite his performance, Flick's goal is to strengthen the full-backs with an ambidextrous player profile capable of improving the current performance.

Hansi Flick and His Priorities

The German coach is a club man, in difficult times for Barça financially Flick hasn't hesitated to bet on the great talents of La Masia. He hasn't complained but has identified the shortcomings of the current squad: Hansi Flick has very clear priorities for the next season. Among his objectives are to strengthen the full-backs as he wants much more competition for Koundé and Balde.

Héctor Fort hasn't established himself as a reliable substitute for Koundé and his role has been minimal. Meanwhile, Gerard Martín, on the left, has had more prominence: he is a tactically disciplined full-back but with little offensive projection. That's why Barça's sports management is already considering signing Marc Pubill, Almería's wing-back, who could leave for 15M.

Marc Pubill, in Barça's Orbit

Marc Pubill, born in Terrassa, won gold at the last Paris Olympics with the Spanish National Team. Before signing for Almería, he went through Manresa or RCD Espanyol until he made his professional debut at Levante. Now, however, he could make the leap to a giant like Barça.

Last summer, Marc Pubill was linked to Atlanta, but at the last minute, the Italians backed out. This season he has already played 22 matches, starting in 17 and playing a total of 1,605 minutes so far. At 21 years old, Pubill is one of the most promising full-backs in Spanish football and Barça is closely following him as he is exactly the profile demanded by Flick.