Martinez: I'm not worth 40 million price tag

Premier League trio Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool, along with European champions Barcelona, have all been linked with a summer move for the 23-year-old.

League Cup holders Liverpool are known to have held a long-term admiration for the Spanish international, while City and United are also keen to sign the midfielder.

It is believed Martinez has a €40m release clause inserted into his contract, a figure even he admits is too high for his services.

"I do not think there's anyone who wants to pay so much for me," he told Mundo Deportivo.

"I see it as too much money for me. I do not think I'm worth so much; I do not think that I'm worth €40m.

"These things [the rumours] are always going on in the world of football.

"Although it is very nice to be talked about in the newspapers; it is a product of what you are doing and says you're doing things right.

"I am very happy to talk about myself but now I'm very focused on what I have at the moment.

"That is enough, so I will try not to give much attention to that [the speculation]."

Nick Moore

Nick Moore is a freelance journalist based on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. He wrote his first FourFourTwo feature in 2001 about Gerard Houllier's cup-treble-winning Liverpool side, and has continued to ink his witty words for the mag ever since. Nick has produced FFT's 'Ask A Silly Question' interview for 16 years, once getting Peter Crouch to confess that he dreams about being a dwarf.