FC Barcelona continue to maneuver the financial restrictions set upon them due to needing to comply with financial fair play. As a result, the Catalans can not exactly go after the biggest names across Europe and be ready to spend exorbitant amounts of funds on acquiring them, and must thus rely on economically feasible alternatives who would also bring in the needed quality.
To look for such players, Barcelona have shortlisted talents from various countries across Europe to find the best possible matches for the Catalan club.
From the English Premier League to France’s Ligue One, there are a handful of players Barcelona are hoping to bring to the club this summer. However, it seems the one to join earliest may just be from within Spain itself.
As reported by SPORT and made certain by the ex-Barcelona manager and current Athletic Bilbao head coach Ernesto Valverde, central defender Inigo Martinez is set to leave the club during the summer.
A target of Barca’s since quite a while, Inigo Martinez will be free to negotiate with whatever club he wishes to once the season ends as his contract has run its entire course and the player is now a free agent.
The player has been evidently crucial for Athletic Bilbao and Ernesto Valverde this season, and will thus understandably be a sore miss for Valverde’s side when they next face Real Madrid on the final matchday of the 2022/2023 La Liga campaign as he has not been included in the squad list.
A huge game with much at stake for Athletic Bilbao, as a win at the Santiago Bernabeu, would confirm a UEFA Europa Conference League spot for them in the upcoming 2023/2024 season.
Reported earlier that Inigo Martinez and Barcelona have indeed finalized negotiations and the player will certainly be a Blaugrana player next season, the recent update from Ernesto Valverde only adds more weight to those reports.
The arrival of the 32-year-old Spanish central defender will add very dependable depth to an already strong Barcelona backline.
