Barcelona Keeps an Eye on Mika Mármol

This upcoming Saturday, UD Las Palmas, led by Francesc Xavier García Pimienta, will visit the Olympic Lluís Companys Stadium. In a team full of players and coaches with a Blaugrana past, the presence of Mika Mármol stands out, one of the best central defenders in the league in his debut season in the top category. He even stepped onto the field wearing the Barcelona shirt when Xavi handed him his debut in the first team in the penultimate match of the 2021-22 La Liga season against Getafe.

After performing at a high level in the reserve team, it became clear that the Primera RFEF was too small for him that summer. He embarked on a new professional football adventure by joining the Andorra squad. Under the guidance of Eder Sarabia, the Terrassa-born defender flourished. Strong in defense with excellent ball distribution, left-footed, and proficient in aerial play, the doors to the top flight opened for him.

Mika Mármol arrived at Andorra for free, but Barcelona retained 50% of his rights. García Pimienta, who was familiar with Mika Mármol from his time in Barcelona’s B team, had requested his signing a year earlier. Six months after his arrival at Las Palmas, and following the promotion, he convinced the club president to make a bet on the Catalan defender. They paid €1.9 million, and Barcelona continued to hold 50% of the player’s rights. He signed with the Canary Islands club for three seasons.

This season, he has been one of the best players for UD Las Palmas, securing their permanence and holding a comfortable position in the table, even eyeing Europe. His impressive performance, with 27 matches played and almost all minutes on the field, has attracted the interest of other clubs, with Girona very keen on acquiring his services next summer.

Mika Mármol is a player liked by both Quique Cárcel, the sporting director of the Catalan club, and Míchel, their coach. They consider him a defender who fits Girona’s style of play and are willing to make an effort to sign him, especially considering that Montilivi’s team has a good chance of playing in the Champions League next season.

The defender has a release clause of €10 million, half of which would go to Barcelona. The Catalan club is closely monitoring any developments, aware of Girona’s interest and the fact that the player does not have a place in the Blaugrana squad, which is overloaded with central defenders.