Bayern Munich have completed the signing of Athletic Bilbao’s Spain midfielder Javi Martinez, the Bundesliga side said on Wednesday, in a deal widely reported to be worth a German record of US$49.20 million.
He has passed a medical and was available to play immediately.
“This was without question a complicated transfer so we are all the happier that Javi Martinez is finally with us,” Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said of the negotiations which have dragged on for several weeks.
Before Bayern confirmed the deal, Bilbao said in a statement that Martinez had travelled to Germany without their permission on Tuesday to finalise the move and they had asked him for an explanation.
Raised at Osasuna, Martinez was signed by Bilbao as a 17-year-old in 2006 and has played for Spain at all age levels. He flourished last season under coach Marcelo Bielsa, helping his team reach the finals of the King’s Cup and the Europa League.
Bayern are desperate to win a title this season after finishing as runners-up in the Bundesliga and German Cup last term, beaten by Borussia Dortmund in both competitions.