Barcelona receive massive boost in race for La Liga centre-back – Spanish sources

Following Gerard Pique’s retirement announcement, Barcelona are left with four natural centre-backs in the senior team for the 2022/23 season.

However, the quartet – Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, and Eric Garcia – are all struggling with injuries this season. In fact, Pique, and in a completely unexpected way, Marcos Alonso, have been Barcelona’s only consistently fit centre-backs across this campaign.

As such, Barça may need to make moves in the winter transfer window to reinforce their backline. One of the names on their shortlist, for a while, no less, has been Athletic Club’s Inigo Martinez.

The Spaniard has a contract until 2023, and while it was reported that the Bilbao outfit are not ready to let the defender leave in January, Toni Juanmarti claims quite the opposite.

According to the reporter, Athletic are struggling with finances this season, and are possibly open to selling Inigo in January.

The two parties are yet to see eye-to-eye in terms of an extension, and it is expected that the player will leave the club on a free transfer as soon as his contract clocks up.

To avoid that, Athletic could potentially let Inigo leave to raise money in the form of player sales.

Barcelona are especially interested in bringing the 31-year-old to their club because of his vast experience in the league. He has been a part of La Liga since his debut for Real Sociedad in 2011, and has been a regular for Athletic Club since his move in 2018.

Inigo was inarguably one of the best centre-backs in the league last season, and Xavi and co. believe he can seamlessly fill the void left behind by Pique.