Inter Milan rival Barcelona in race for La Liga defender; player wants Camp Nou move

With Barcelona set to explore the free transfer market in the summer transfer window, Inigo Martinez of Athletic Club has emerged as one of the top targets for the club.

The Spanish centre-half has been linked with a move to Camp Nou since last summer, but Barça decided to postpone his signing after they struck a deal to land Jules Kounde.

But, the Blaugrana have continued to retain an interest in Martinez and wish to sign him as a free agent this summer when his contract with Athletic Club expires.

However, according to reports, as relayed by SPORT, Barcelona are now set to face competition from Serie A giants Inter Milan, who are also keen on acquiring the services of Martinez.

The Nerazzurri are set to lose Milan Skriniar in the summer, with the Slovakian international set to sign for PSG. Question marks remain over the future of Stefan de Vrij as well, which has left the Italian giants in search of reinforcements.

And, Martinez has emerged as an option for Inter Milan to bolster their backline before next season.

Apart from Inter Milan, there is also interest from the likes of Aston Villa and Atletico Madrid as well. However, Martinez’s priority for the summer is to bid goodbye to Athletic Club and sign for Barcelona.

The Blaugrana, for their part, remain interested in Martinez but cannot guarantee his signing due to their Financial Fair Play problems. So, it remains to be seen how the situation develops in the coming weeks.

What appears to be clear at this point is that the veteran La Liga defender seemingly has his heart set on a move to Camp Nou. But if it does not materialise, the centre-half will not be short of options come summer.