Barcelona have reportedly come to an agreement with Athletic Bilbao defender Inigo Martinez according to multiple emerging reports. The Spaniard will be a free agent come the summer, and the Catalans have been looking to take advantage of that for quite some time.
This news does not come as a shock considering the Catalans have been pursuing his signature for quite some time, and any agreement between the two sides primarily was only a matter of time.
According to trusted journalist Gerard Romero, the following was reported:
Iñigo Martinez and Barcelona have reached an agreement to join as a free agent this summer. The deal will be done if the club has the necessary fair play.
As per the report, the main hurdle now remains for FC Barcelona to create enough of a space within their allocated salary budget and consequently be in accordance with financial fair play so that they are able to accommodate the Bilbao defender’s wages.
Moreover, it has been reported by Spanish outlet SPORT that Inigo Martinez’s wife is currently in the city of Barcelona as well looking for a new house, which would indicate that these negotiations between the club and player have definitely advanced quite far by now.
The 31-year-old could arrive as a free agent next season and will then be able to provide much more cover to an already well-drilled and consistent backline that is dominating La Liga’s defensive statistics as is.