**West Ham United have opened talks to sign Girona full-back Arnau Martinez, [Matteo Moretto](https://x.com/MatteMoretto/status/1942460930844930431) reports.**
The Hammers squad is in dire need of open heart surgery, with every area of the squad needing special attention. They seem to be starting with the backline.
Moretto reports that Martinez is now firmly at the top of the club’s wishlist as they ramp up their squad rebuild.
West Ham are short on options at right-back. Vladimir Coufal has left the club after his contract expired, leaving Aaron Wan-Bissaka as the only right-back in the squad.
The former Manchester United star was a bright spark for West Ham in what was a troubling 2024/25 campaign.
He produced two goals and five assists in 36 Premier League games and was named the club’s Player of the Season as the Hammers finished 14th on the table.
Looking to provide depth in that position, West Ham have turned to Martinez. Like Wan-Bissaka, the Spanish full-back was a bright spark in an underwhelming Girona team that barely avoided relegation.
He featured 39 times across all competitions, returning three goals and three assists.
He helped to keep five clean sheets, averaging one interception, 1.6 tackles, 3.9 ball recoveries, and two clearances per 90 minutes.
He also won 57% (3.3 per match) of his ground duels and 58% of his aerial battles.
West Ham have also been linked with Celta Vigo defender Oscar Mingueza, but they have now shifted their focus to Martinez, who is available for a bargain fee.
The Spanish Under 21 star has two years left on his contract, but West Ham can snap him up if they activate his €15 million (£12m) release clause.
At the same time, the club’s hands are tied. In order to stay on the right side of the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), they need to sell players before making any additions.
They’re now open to selling Ghanaian star Mohammed Kudus, who is drawing serious interest from Tottenham Hotspur, while [Nayef Aguerd has been linked with a move to Sunderland](https://westhamblog.co.uk/posts/sunderland-interested-in-signing-west-ham-defender-nayef-aguerd/).
_Stats from Transfermarkt & Sofascore_