If the injuries to Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araújo weren't enough problems for the centre of defence of FC Barcelona, Saudi Arabia has taken it upon itself to give them one more setback. Laurent Blanc, current coach of Al-Ittihad, wants to reinforce his team with an experienced defender and has set his sights on Iñigo Martínez. The Basque centre-back has gained weight in Hansi Flick's planning and is Pau Cubarsí's teammate in the starting eleven, but the Arabian peninsula is pushing for his arrival in the final stretch of the transfer market.
From the offices of King Abdullah Sports City they are building a competitive project to break the hegemony of Al-Hilal, so, in addition to having figures such as Karim Benzema, Moussa Diaby and N'golo Kanté, the club's sporting management is looking to shore up the rearguard of Blanc's team. Thus, Martínez would be part of the French coach's plans, since his profile is considered ideal to finish giving a quality jump to the position.
According to what was reported by the journalist of 'Sky Sports', Rudy Galleti, specialized in the transfer market, the interest of Al-Ittihad is real and concrete and has already had contacts with Iñigo to explain his project. The player's contract with Barça expires in 2025, which is why the Asians are looking to convince the Barça entity to transfer the defender this summer before he leaves the team as a free agent the following year.
However, the newspaper 'SPORT' assures that, despite the fact that the Saudi institution has pressured to get the 'green light' from Martínez, the player's plans involve continuing to wear the Barça shirt next season. The defender has appreciated the interest of the team managed by Blanc, but, today, he feels valued in the Catalan squad and his intention is to stay in Barcelona, where he continues to gain 'stripes' in the squad.
Barça's position is clear
For its part, at Can Barça they do not intend to get rid of the Basque centre-back taking into account the number of setbacks that have accumulated in the position. In addition to Ronald Araújo's long-term injury, there is the problem with the Achilles tendon that will keep Christensen out of action for several weeks and the possible departure of Eric García to Girona, so they would only consider transferring Iñigo if they had a replacement lined up. Jonathan Tah has been presented as an option for the centre of defence, but the club has other priorities and his signing is uncertain.