Inigo Martinez reportedly wants to join Barcelona this summer, giving the Catalan giants a boost in their pursuit of the 31-year-old Spanish international.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Inigo Martinez wants to join Barcelona in the ongoing transfer window, with Athletic Club likely to begin negotiations with their fellow La Liga outfit for the 31-year-old Spanish international in the coming days.
Inigo Martinez has been a mainstay in La Liga for much of the past decade, garnering a reputation of being a dependable centre-back during this period. The veteran defender has come leaps and bounds since joining Athletic Club from Basque rivals Real Sociedad nearly four years ago.
The 31-year-old has made 158 appearances for Athletic Club, chipping in with six goals and seven assists. But Martinez faces an uncertain future at San Mames after entering the final year of his contract with the Basque outfit. The Spanish international is no closer to agreeing to a new deal, with his situation alerting Barcelona, who might soon table a bid to secure his services.
The continued interest from Barcelona is surprising, considering Xavi Hernandez has a plethora of central defensive options in his squad. The Catalan giants have also brought in two centre-backs in the ongoing transfer window, with Jules Kounde and Andreas Christensen arriving at Camp Nou.
So they do not need to sign another central defender, considering Xavi has reliable options like Ronald Araujo at his disposal. But recent reports have suggested that the Barcelona manager might utilise Kounde and Araujo as right-backs this season while looking to sign another centre-back, thus bringing Inigo Martinez into the picture.
The decision has been a byproduct of Barcelona’s failure to sign Cesar Azpilicueta, who has penned a new contract with Chelsea. And Barcelona’s hopes of signing Martinez should now rise, with the 31-year-old Spanish international ready to move to Camp Nou this summer.
The report also adds that Athletic Club will likely begin negotiations with the Blaugrana over a move for Martinez. So a summer transfer for the 31-year-old Spanish international might see the light of day if the stars align perfectly for Barcelona.