Barcelona have verbal agreement with Pique replacement, January move not ruled out

Even as fans come to terms with the sudden announcement of Gerard Pique retiring from football, Barcelona are already looking forward and planning for what lies ahead for the club.

The 35-year-old is an icon and a legend at the club but had lost importance in the side this season and has now decided that the time is right for him to end his career midway through the season.

Even though he was not used all that prominently by Xavi Hernandez this term, Pique’s availability provided Barça with squad depth which came in handy amidst an injury crisis. So, the question beckons if the Blaugrana will look to replace him with another defender in January.

And, according to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona have already narrowed in on Athletic Club’s Inigo Martinez as their desired replacement for Pique.

What’s more, the Blaugrana also have a verbal agreement with the Spaniard to join the club at the end of the season as a free agent, when his contract with the Basque Country outfit expires.

However, the report states that Barça could decide to bring those plans forward to January itself if Athletic Club are willing to agree on a reasonable price to sell their defensive mainstay.

Martinez has been on Barcelona’s agenda since the summer when it seemed like they would miss out on Jules Kounde. But the club ended up signing the Frenchman, leading to the Martinez operation stalling.

However, Xavi & co. were able to reach a verbal agreement with the 31-year-old to move to Spotify Camp Nou in July 2023 on a Bosman deal.

But now, they would be open to welcoming Martinez at the club in January itself, provided that the operation is cheap and the defender is not struggling with any aftereffects of the knee injury he sustained earlier this season.

Pique’s retirement means that Barça will have room on their wage bill to accommodate new signings as well. So, it will be interesting to see if Inigo Martinez ends up arriving in January itself.