Altimira was not good enough for Barcelona and now Guardiola wants him
His release clause is 40 million euros... although Betis could sell him for 20
Sergio Altimira is one of those players who has had a harder time than others to claim his place and space, but now he has managed to turn everything around and it is those teams that did not pay attention to him during his training period that are eager to sign him. The Betis midfielder has been one of the references for many top European teams, including Manchester City, a needy Wolverhampton, and a football team as thriving as that of Saudi Arabia during the winter transfer market.
Altimira arrived at the Andalusian club under the guidance of Ramon Planes in 2023, the same one who rescued him from a string of loans in Catalan football ( Granollers and Sabadell ) for Getafe. Formed in the Barcelona youth academy, he did not have the opportunity to demonstrate his talent, perhaps because of moving away from that stereotype of the Catalan team’s formation. A physically powerful footballer, but with enough talent to, years later, be coveted by many top-level teams, including Manchester City.
The time pressure is in Betis’ favor to retain the midfielder in this market, something will be different in the summer with the presence of important teams on the horizon who see Altimira as a long-term project.
At Betis, they know that the 2 million euros they paid to make effective the termination clause that linked him to Getafe will become, sooner or later, a guarantee of a profitable business. The contribution of the powerful midfielder has been increasing throughout the season until becoming indisputable. His vertical and powerful football is right now one of the best passports to the big teams.
The leaders of the Andalusian club know that they have to offer one of their references, but they are also aware that with the presence of teams like Manchester City, it will be complicated to stop his progress beyond the Benito Villamarín. More than improving his termination clause, set at 40 million euros, Betis also wants to recognize what the midfielder has done on the pitch, to whom Barcelona turned their back or at least did not give him the necessary opportunities. The Betis could sell him for a lower amount, around 20 million.