It is quite evident by now that FC Barcelona simply cannot take any offer that comes their way for granted. Due to their unique financial circumstances, the club remains one of the most restricted in all of Europe. To overcome these restrictions, however, Barcelona is expected to generate adequate amounts of funds.
That is why, in this recent summer transfer window, the Catalan club was reportedly ready to offload even some key players for the right kind of price. Ultimately, La Blaugrana managed to acquire the big signing of Dani Olmo while also retaining most of their key players.
Ilkay Gundogan was one of the few who ended up having to be sacrificed, but he may not have been the only veteran who could have left the club this summer. There was another player apparently who could have left this summer near the very end of the window.
According to MARCA, the final few days of the transfer window saw Barcelona receive a €5 million transfer offer from Saudi Arabia for 33-year-old Spanish defender Inigo Martinez but the Catalan club ultimately ended up rejecting that advance from a certain Middle Eastern club.
While it is true that Inigo Martinez does not have too much time left on his contract and that he is already at an advanced age, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick was reportedly the reason why the player was not sold. The club did initially consider the transfer offer to be a good one, but they understood the coach’s concern.
At that point in time, the injury to Ronald Araujo had already been pinpointed as one that could keep him sidelined until December, and Andreas Christensen’s injuries has also been one that continue to be problematic. That is why, for the sake of the sporting excellence of the team, retaining Martinez was a necessity for Flick.
Since then, it seems that the German coach’s bet seems to have paid off. The Spaniard continues to be his most trusted centre-back alongside Pau Cubarsi for now and it is clear to see that both of the two defenders are playing well alongside one another as the team’s starters.
While Barcelona continues to wait for Araujo and Christensen to make their return, Inigo Martinez has proven himself to be a more than reliable replacement for the meantime. Despite his reportedly €15 million salary continuing to be a bit of a burden for Barcelona, the player’s arrival as a free transfer and his consistent performances have seemingly balanced that out.
