Del Bosque impressed by ´great´ Martinez

Spain manager Vicente Del Bosque has tipped Bayern Munich’s transfer target Javi Martinez for great things.

The Bavarian giants have fought hard to clinch the Athletic Bilbao midfielder’s signature all summer, and a breakthrough over the 40-million-euro transfer appears to finally have been made, according to reports.

Del Bosque, who included the 23-year-old in his World Cup 2010 and Euro 2012 winning squads, has spoken highly of the player, whose tactical versatility has more than once proved crucial for both club and country.

“Javi Martinez is a complete player who can cover any role he wants to on the pitch,” the former Real Madrid coach said.

“I can say Bayern will have a lot of fun with him.”

“He is a born leader best compared to (former France international) Patrick Vieira, likewise covering much ground and solving much of any team’s defensive midfield problems.

“I can only congratulate Bayern if they manage to add him to their team. It will not be like Athletic Bilbao to sell him, but in Germany, he can strive for the very top. He is a great player and a great person.”

Indications of an impending transfer have already surfaced, with Athletic coach Marcelo Bielsa opting not to include the Basque player in the squad set to take on Real Betis in the Europa League finalists’ La Liga opener.