Barcelona seal Inigo Martinez agreement

Veteran La Liga defender Inigo Martinez will reportedly complete a Bosman move to Barcelona in the summer transfer window.

According to reputed Spanish journalist Gerard Romero, Inigo Martinez will be a Barcelona player in the 2023/24 season. The two parties have sealed an agreement over a Bosman move in the summer transfer window. And the Blaugrana will finally land a left-footed centre-back by signing the veteran La Liga defender.

Inigo Martinez is a veteran of La Liga, having represented two mainstays of the league in the past decade or so. The 31-year-old has been a solid performer for Real Sociedad and Athletic Club. But his best performances have come since sealing a controversial move to Athletic Club half a decade ago.

The Spanish international has turned out 173 times thus far for Athletic Club, chipping in with eight goals and seven assists. But Martinez’s long-term future lies elsewhere, as he is in the final months of his contract. Such a situation has captured the attention of several high-profile clubs, including Barcelona.

Barcelona initially wanted to sign Martinez in the summer transfer window last year. But Athletic Club did not entertain any bids and kept him at San Mames for the ongoing season. However, the Basque giants have failed to seal an agreement with the veteran defender over a new contract.

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So with Martinez destined to leave Athletic Club as a free agent, the possibility to join Barcelona has arisen. Widespread reports have also suggested that the 31-year-old is keen on moving to Spotify Camp Nou. And amid the never-ending financial issues, the veteran La Liga defender is a viable target for Barcelona.

Recent reports claimed that Martinez was on the verge of sealing an agreement with Barcelona. And that has finally happened, with the Spanish international set to join the Blaugrana. Gerard Romero has claimed that the two parties have finalised all the details, and only an official statement remains.

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Barcelona might still need to balance the books before officiating the deal to sign Martinez. But the 31-year-old will likely leave Athletic Club in the summer to join the Catalan outfit. And it will be interesting to see if Barcelona’s keenness to sign a centre-back ends with his arrival.