Barcelona defensive target set to renew with club – report

On Friday, reports of Barcelona’s agreement with Athletic Club defender Inigo Martinez had been dominating the headlines. It looked like the Catalans had missed out on Jules Kounde and had made their move for the 31-year-old.

Reports claimed that Martinez and Barça had reached full agreement over personal terms with the Catalans believed to have been in talks with the Basque outfit for his signing.

However, Saturday brought a fresh twist in the tale as Barcelona have now seemingly struck an agreement with Sevilla for the signing of Kounde, who could now be arriving at Camp Nou imminently.

It has cast doubts on Barcelona’s pursuit of Martinez, who remains one of the many alternatives that the Catalans are looking at as Plan B in case Kounde does not arrive.

Amidst the evolving situation, MARCA is now reporting that Athletic Club are planning to tie Martinez down to a new contract and keep hold of him beyond this summer.

Jon Uriarte, Athletic Club’s new president, has made it a top priority to tie the Spanish international to a new contract and a meeting is set to take place between the club and the player in the near future to discuss his situation.

Talks had been held before Barcelona’s interest emerged and they will now continue as the Basque outfit look to get clarity on the player’s future.

The report, however, adds that Athletic will not rush negotiations due to Barça’s pursuit and will take their time to hand him a proposal according to the market conditions.

If the 31-year-old does not wish to extend his stay, Los Leones will look to offload him before the transfer window closes as long as they have time to bring in a replacement for him.

Martinez’s current contract with Athletic runs until 2023. While Barcelona may have their eyes on him, a move would be extremely unlikely if they get their man in Kounde. Such a scenario could lead to the Spaniard signing a new contract with the Basque club.