Barcelona handed blow in Inigo Martinez pursuit

Inigo Martinez will reportedly likely stay put at Athletic Club beyond the summer, handing Barcelona a blow in pursuit of the €80 million-rated Spaniard.

According to a report by Spanish publication SPORT, Barcelona will unlikely secure the services of Inigo Martinez in the summer transfer window. The Spanish international, who has a release clause worth €80 million in his contract with Athletic Club, will stay put at the Basque outfit heading into the 2022/23 season.

Inigo Martinez has been a fixture in La Liga for the better part of the past decade. The 31-year-old first made a name for himself at Real Sociedad before completing a controversial move to Basque rivals Athletic Club nearly four years ago. And the experienced defender has continued to go from strength to strength at San Mames.

The Spanish international has made 158 appearances for Athletic Club, chipping in with six goals and seven assists. But Martinez’s contract situation has left Los Leones in a spot of bother, with his deal running out next year. And the player’s potential availability has captured the attention of Barcelona.

Barcelona will likely add one central defender to their roster by securing the services of Chelsea star Andreas Christensen in a Bosman move. But the Blaugrana might sign another centre-back after the Dane arrives at Camp Nou, with several players facing an uncertain future at the Catalan club.

Samuel Umtiti, Clement Lenglet and Oscar Mingueza are reportedly surplus to requirements at FC Barcelona, with the trio on the club’s transfer list. In addition, Gerard Pique is in the final stage of his glittering career and could start getting phased out in the coming season.

Inigo Martinez has thus emerged as a viable target for Barcelona, as he could be the leader at the back for Barcelona in Pique’s stead. But the Spanish international has a release clause worth €80 million in his contract with Athletic Club which has put a spanner in the works for Barcelona.

At the same time, Los Leones will soon open contract renewal talks with Inigo Martinez, who seems committed to the Basque outfit. The report also mentions that Barcelona previously had the chance to sign Martinez when Ernesto Valverde was at the club. As for pursuing the Spanish international this summer, Barcelona will likely have to set their sights elsewhere to bolster their defensive unit.