Breaking Down the Importance of Javi Martinez to Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich

Javi Martinez penned a new contract with Bayern Munich on Friday, extending his stay at the Allianz Arena until 2021. It was his second contract with the Bavarian giants, following a five-year deal signed in 2012 when the Bundesliga outfit secured his release from Athletic Bilbao.

In the years that have followed, Martinez has had his ups and downs. He had an immediate impact on a team that had finished runners-up in the Champions League in 2010 and 2012. A year after Bayern had finished second in three competitions, they won a treble with Martinez a key player in central midfield.

His partnership with Bastian Schweinsteiger was simply impossible for opponents to contest with, and even the great Barcelona midfield of Xavi and Andres Iniesta fell 7-0 to Bayern over the course of their two Champions League semifinal fixtures.

Since then, he's often been injured. He missed the first few months of the 2013-14 campaign, and a year later, he suffered a cruciate ligament rupture that made 2014-15 essentially a lost season. Yet he's come back strong, and at this time, Martinez is perhaps as important to Bayern as ever before.

This season, Martinez has been an invaluable asset to the Bayern squad especially due to his versatility. With Mehdi Benatia and Holger Badstuber often injured, he's played plenty of games in central defense alongside Jerome Boateng. 

Adept with the ball at his feet and not particularly threatened by most opposing attacks, Martinez as a center back has fit well into Pep Guardiola's plans. Although man-marking isn't his best suit, he's strong and powerful enough to contend with strikers, is great in the air, and his tackling technique is excellent.

Although David Alaba isn't the worst option alongside Boateng, Martinez is a much more appropriate fit. Without the Spaniard, the German giants would be in serious trouble in central defense for lack of depth.

At the same time, Martinez has proved he still has the quality to play in midfield on more than one occasion. And he could play a key role in that position in the big games to come this spring. A few times he's featured in a more defense-minded setup, making up for Xabi Alonso's limited mobility and defensive traits.

Martinez isn't as technically proficient as Arturo Vidal, but with the Chilean having often struggled to assert himself in Munich and apparently not putting in the hard yards he once did, Martinez may be even more valuable to his club now as a midfielder.

The former Athletic Bilbao man can be used in the center of the park to break up counterattacks from Europe's most dangerous sides—provided there are two other healthy center backs—such as Barcelona and Real Madrid.

It's an important option to have, and much better than simply sticking a natural center back into midfield as many other top clubs have done at one time or another: Martinez actually has years of experience playing ahead of the back four.

Now 27 years of age and apparently quite healthy, Martinez is a hugely important part of the current Bayern team. His versatility as a player who can be used both in midfield and defense is critical, and he's in the natural prime of his career.

Although his wage may be rather high, Bayern can feel grateful to have locked down Martinez for the long term. He's certainly earned his raise.

@Mr_Bundesliga