New Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova has expressed his desire to sign Javi Martinez from Athletic Bilbao this summer.

Vilanova, who has succeeded Pep Guardiola at the Nou Camp, is currently in the market to add a defensive midfielder to his squad before the start of the season.

Having considered a number of options, the boss has admitted that Martinez is one of his major targets.

"Javi Martinez is the type of player we are looking for, like a lot of other players," he told reporters. "We can't talk about specific players.

"If we find a player that can play in the centre-back and pivot role, fantastic. If not, we'll find a player in the reserve team."

Bilbao recently insisted that they would not allow the 23-year-old to leave for anything less than his release clause.