There is a commandment that says a lot of planning for the next season should be done between February and May. Barcelona also knows how to work in the long term. He has shown it in the last two summers with the zero-cost signings of Kun Agüero, Eric Garcia and Memphis (for the 21-22 season) and those of Christensen and Kessié (for the 22-23 course). All of them were free and Barça knew how to move well between small balls so that they did not escape. The same has now happened with Iñigo MartÃnez (Ondarroa, 17/5/1991).
The central Biscay, who has just turned 32, said goodbye to the Athletic Club yesterday morning through a video and at noon he was already seen in a hotel in Barcelona close to the Spotify Camp Nou. His signing has been agreed for weeks and will become the first reinforcement for 2023-24. The idea is to announce the addition before the footballer goes on holiday.
The absolute international – 19 times, with Del Bosque, Lopetegui and Luis Enrique but not yet with De la Fuente – will occupy the position at the center of the defense left vacant by Piqué. When his arrival is official, Barcelona will have five central players with Araújo, Koundé, Christensen, Eric Garcia and the Basque. Six if you count Umtiti.
Iñigo MartÃnez, a left-winger with a great aerial game, has extensive experience in the First Division. Since he made his debut in September 2011, he has accumulated 357 games in the top flight. However, in these 12 campaigns as a professional, he only has one title on his record: the Spanish Super Cup which he won in January 2021 at La Cartuja… against Barcelona.
In his farewell video for Athletic, the footballer explained that it was not an easy decision for him. “It is not easy to leave my land, my roots and those of my family. It was a pleasure to defend this shield”, he recalled, but let it be known that he needed new challenges. “I think the time has come to focus on a new sporting challenge”, he justified himself.
Then Athletic and the player’s environment embarked on a reply and counter-replies of statements. The club pointed out that “after different attempts at negotiation in the last two seasons, Iñigo MartÃnez has maintained his rejection” of offers to extend his contract. On the other hand, from the circle close to the footballer they denied “categorically that the current Athletic board had presented any offer”. Because of this conflict, the defender has barely played 18 games this season under Valverde, who has preferred to promote the Vivian-Yeray pair.
The Basque centre-back was already close to wearing a Blaugrana shirt in the summer of 2017, when he was still playing for Real Sociedad. Barça made a move, but then Mascherano, who was entering the World Cup season in Russia, saw his tenure at both the Camp Nou and the Albiceleste in jeopardy. So Iñigo didn’t leave… until January 2018, when he signed for Athletic, from which he is now leaving for Barcelona.
