Barcelona are close to signing Athletic Bilbao defender Inigo Martinez on a free transfer, according to Relevo. He has been a long-term target for Barcelona, and they are about to snap him up.
The Catalan club tried to sign him last summer and snooped around in the January transfer window. But they could not seal a deal due to their finances and Athletic Bilbao’s demands.
However, Barcelona want to tie up the deal after agreeing salaries and terms with the player a while back. He will join them ahead of next season. The only problem is the issues Barcelona are facing.
The player’s entourage is worried about the club’s financial instability. The Catalans are in a dire financial situation, with their accounts in tatters after covid-19 decimated their revenue.
They have had to pull economic levers by selling their studios and museums to get funds to sign and register their players.
La Liga has not made it easy. The league president Javier Tebas wants to ensure that the club is not living above its means.
Also, Martinez and his people are thinking about the Negreira case and its implication for Barcelona.
Prosecutors accuse Barcelona of paying €8.4 million to former vice-president of Spain’s referees’ committee, Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, and his company in return for favourable refereeing decisions.
The case is now in court, and the club could face drastic sanctions that could spell danger.
According to the reports, if not for the case, Martinez would be a Barcelona player already. He is 31, looking for a final adventure that will give him European football and the opportunity to win titles.
Martinez will likely replace Clement Lenglet and Samuel Umtiti at Barcelona. They left the club last summer, and Barcelona have been without a left-footed central defender and have used left-back Marcos Alonso as a centre-back.
Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernandez likes Martinez and is pushing the club to sign him. The signing now depends on the club’s financial situation and the Negreira case.
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