Bayern Munich’s Javi Martinez says he’s ready for “something new” after this season

Just a few short months ago, we thought we had seen a fairytale ending for Javi Martinez’s time at Bayern Munich as he scored the stoppage time winner against Sevilla in the UEFA Supercup. At the time, it was all but certain he’d be leaving Munich before the summer transfer window closed, but a move away from Bayern never materialized and he’s going to finish the season with the treble winners before inevitably moving on.

Per a new interview, Martinez said he’s looking for “something new” after he finishes this season with Bayern (Goal). After over eight years in Munich, he’s ready for a new challenge to finish out his playing career. Speaking in the press conference previewing Bayern’s Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid this week, he said “this is not the moment to discuss what will happen in June 2021. Anything can happen. I had great years here and we will see what happens. I would like to try something new, no matter where, but something new before I end my career.”

His current contract runs through June 2021 and he’s made it clear that he’s more than happy to stay an fulfill the rest of it. He had been linked with a move to Real Sociedad earlier this year and had even said he’d be willing to take a potential wage cut to move to the La Liga side, but Hansi Flick was able to convince Martinez to stay for the rest of the season after Thiago Alcantara completed his move to Liverpool in the Premier League. There’s also added opportunity for Martinez now due to Joshua Kimmich being out for a while because of his knee injury. In addition, Jerome Boateng’s fitness is often times in question and Martinez can be used as a center back, so he’s a versatile option for Flick.

“The contract says it is the last year. I am happy to be here now and I am part of the team and that is what is important”, Martinez said when concluding his discussion about his future. From Bayern’s perspective, his presence in the squad is increasingly important with the truncated nature of this season’s fixtures and the amount of injuries the squad has already experienced. Hopefully he’ll be celebrating more silverware at the end of this season before he moves on.

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