Inigo Martinez
According to a report from Diario SPORT, Barcelona are on course to secure the signing of Inigo Martinez in the near future.
The Athletic Club centre-back has a verbal agreement with the Catalan outfit and he is determined to join the club in order to win trophies.
A centre-back by trade, Martinez is regarded as one of the defensive lynchpins at Athletic Club. He has featured in 165 competitive matches for the club and has almost 350 La Liga appearances to his name. His experience and leadership make him one of the best defenders in the Spanish top flight.
However, Martinez’s future does not lie at Athletic Club as the defender’s contract expires at the end of the season. The Basque outfit have tried their best to convince the Spaniard to extend his contract beyond 2023.
But the player has refused to budge and is determined to play for Barcelona. In fact, he is very much likely to join the Catalans as a free agent next summer.
Xavi had targeted Inigo Martinez as part of his plans to introduce a new left-footed center-back in his squad. Not to mention, Barça are poised to lose Gerard Pique in the near future, so the addition of Martinez could be integral in their bid to strengthen their defensive ranks.
Interestingly, Inigo Martinez is expected to spearhead the Athletic Club defence on Sunday when they take on Barcelona. If everything goes according to the plan, it will be Inigo’s final game at Camp Nou as a visitor, unless the two teams meet again in Copa Del Rey.
[Source: barcauniversal.com]