BREAKING NEWS! Barcelona is close to selling Iñigo Martínez: which club is he aiming for?

Market bombshell in relation to FC Barcelona. And yes, it has just been announced that one of the great pillars of the Blaugrana team last season, Iñigo Martínez, is very close to leaving the Culé discipline.

According to journalist Matteo Moretto, the Basque player is very close to becoming a new player for Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia. This source maintains that negotiations for the defender, who during the preseason barely played in the first match against Vissel Kobe (45 minutes) and did not play in the others due to alleged muscle fatigue, are already underway and well on track. In fact, the '5' is expected to travel to the Saudi nation this Friday to complete the operation.

• 📌 IÑIGO MARTÍNEZ'S NUMBERS IN THE 2024/25 SEASON WITH FC BARCELONA: three goals and six assists in 46 matches.

Advanced negotiations for Iñigo Martínez with Al Nassr

Facilitating this departure would be a totally unexpected market move for FC Barcelona. Although it was clear that, due to the overbooking of defenders, someone had to leave this summer, Iñigo Martínez's name never appeared among those pointed out, unlike what happened with Andreas Christensen or Ronald Araujo.

• 📌 THE FACT: Journalist Fabrizio Romano maintains that Iñigo Martínez would join Al Nassr as a free agent. Likewise, he would sign a contract until 2026, with the option to extend his link until 2027.

Even the '5' from Ondarroa, recently renewed with a contract until 2026, was considered along with Pau Cubarsí as an important piece in the starting scheme. However, given the emergence of the Arab team and the more than possible departure of Aymeric Laporte this summer, it has been decided to launch an offensive for the Basque player that no one had on the radar.

In turn, this operation would be beneficial to free up salary mass. It is said that the departure of Iñigo Martínez will serve to free up about €14M in this area, being able to use, since it is not operating under the 1:1 rule, 60% of that released salary (approximately €8.4M). A strategic maneuver for a club that needs to oxygenate its salary structure and be able to register its new additions without problems.

Repercussion of the possible goodbye of a defensive pillar

The departure of the Basque player could open space in the squad and turn the defensive approach of Hansi Flick's team upside down. His experience and leadership had been fundamental, so now the coaching staff must work on alternatives to maintain the defensive solidity of the Blaugrana team.

Under this premise, it is clear that the planning regarding the sale of defenders could take an important turn, since with the foreseeable departure of Iñigo Martínez, both Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araujo will see their options renewed to fight for a place in the starting eleven of the German coach.

A contest in which, in principle, the Charrúa defender seems to have a certain favoritism, after what was seen on the tour of Asia, where he was a starter in two of the three matches and seems to have the confidence of the German coach. However, the role of Christensen cannot be ruled out either, who also left very good feelings during the aforementioned stage and whose profile is equally attractive to reinforce the Culé defense.

This is how Iñigo Martínez's time at Barcelona ends after two seasons of success

This is how Iñigo Martínez's adventure at FC Barcelona would come to an end, after two seasons at the club. The Basque player arrived in the summer market of the 2023/24 season. Since then, he has accumulated a total of 71 matches played, with three goals and six assists in that period.

Likewise, during his time at Can Barça, in which he was directed by both Xavi Hernández and Hansi Flick, he managed to win a total of three titles: LaLiga EA Sports 2024/25, the Copa del Rey 2024/25 and the Spanish Super Cup 2025.

Beyond that, the defender, who after the loss of the captaincy of Marc-André ter Stegen was among the candidates to be the fifth captain, brought veteran status to the dressing room of the Culé sports project. Despite a difficult start marked by injuries, when he regained his physical regularity he consolidated himself as one of the undisputed starters, standing out as a left-footed defender with a good foot, an authentic wall and one of the most beloved players by the Blaugrana fans.