On a free transfer, Barcelona defender Inigo Martinez is expected to join Al Nassr.
The 34-year-old signed a contract extension with the La Liga team last January, and he still has one year left on his deal. Barcelona would be able to raise their wage cap by €14 million if they were to sign the defender, which would let them sign Marcus Rashford and other players before the following season.
After progressing through Real Sociedad’s junior system, Martinez spent five and a half years at Athletic Club before joining Barcelona in July 2023. In 71 games for the Catalan team, the center-back has three goals and six assists.
Under head coach Hansi Flick, he became a consistent starter for Barca last season, making 46 appearances across all competitions. In October 2024, he scored his first goal for the team.
He made twenty-eight appearances in La Liga, where they ultimately won the title and finished four points clear of Real Madrid in second place.
This summer, Al Nassr already acquired center-back Nader Al-Sharari from Al Shabab, a team in the Saudi Pro League. After finishing third in the league the previous season, thirteen points behind champions Al Ittihad, they also signed Chelsea’s Joao Felix.
After Barcelona deprived goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen of his captaincy earlier on Thursday, the possible transfer has been confirmed.
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