The right-back position has become very complicated for some time now. There are those who jump into the center of the field to play as organizers, something that Guardiola invented at Bayern with Lahm. There are those who live almost in the rival’s area acting as wingers. A few days ago, in Getafe, Xavi placed Sergi Roberto in the offensive phase inside. Some have to close as a third central when the left-back takes flight. But there is one in LaLiga that does all that and more in the same game. This is how unclassifiable and eclectic Arnau MartÃnez is (Premià de Dalt, 25/IV/2003).
As if that were not enough, the young full-back from Girona complicates everything a bit more as he plays with the number 4 on his back and even appears as a midfielder, behind Taty Castellanos, as Luis Enrique did at Ronaldo and Robson’s Barça.
In his first season in the First Division, the defender from Maresme in the First Division is breaking the mold with his style of play, so particular that it makes his rivals mess up, who never imagine where he is going to appear. Although he started as a substitute for the first three days, he is a fixture for MÃchel and has already played more than 2,100 minutes in the League, spread over 26 games, 25 of them as starters.
Arnau, who has aroused the interest of several greats, turns 20 this Tuesday and will celebrate it in Montilivi. The special guest at his party will be VinÃcius, with whom he will see face to face in the band as long as the Brazilian does not rest. But not even having a winger like the Madrid player in front of him will make the defender change his nature to go up and change position to be there where the team needs him most at all times.
The boy, who was trained from the ages of 7 to 13 in the Barcelona youth academy, arrived at Girona in 2018 from l’Hospitalet to play for the rojiblanco cadet. At 17, Francisco made him debut in the first team in Segovia in a Copa del Rey match. Now, at the age of 20, he has already made 90 first-team appearances.
At that time he was a promising central defender but when MÃchel arrived in the summer of 2021, the Madrid coach detected that perhaps he lacked height (1.81 meters) for the position but, on the other hand, his physique would make him powerful and very dangerous as a winger or winger .
MÃchel’s diagnosis was the hand of a saint, it could not have been more accurate. And to round off the play, Arnau was the author of the third and final goal in the decisive match for promotion in Tenerife. After drawing zero at Montilivi, Girona won 1-3 at the Heliodoro RodrÃguez López. The one from Premià closed the account and unleashed joy on the banks of the Onyar.
The jump to First Division, far from intimidating him, has enhanced some of his best qualities. One is how easy it is for him to settle and live in the opposite field. Of the 800 passes that he has given in these first 30 games, almost half (377) have been in the attacking half. Seasoned player, he has already seen 9 yellow cards but forces many more free kicks in his favor (50) than those called against (28).
In addition, Arnau carries a lot of danger with his raids. He has scored three goals (against Betis, Real Sociedad and Espanyol) in his only three shots on goal. While his two assists have been for Taty Castellanos and served to beat Elche and to open the win against AlmerÃa. He also stood out against Barça, in Girona and at the Camp Nou.
Arnau’s clause rose from 5 to 20 million when Girona rose and the club has renewed him until 2025 because the only qualification that does him justice is that of Simeone, who he classified as the best right-back in the First Division, before he turned this Tuesday the 20 years.
