Barcelona set to make important offer for veteran La Liga defender

As Barcelona continue to push for reinforcements in a highly busy summer transfer window, the defence now seems to be the main focus.

The pursuit of Jules Kounde has been a widely-followed transfer saga, but according to recent reports, he seems a lot closer to Chelsea despite the Frenchman having held out for an offer from Barcelona.

As a result, new reports from journalist Aitor Martinez advance that the Catalans are now set to turn their eyes towards experienced Athletic Bilbao defender Inigo Martinez.

The report states that Barcelona sporting director Mateu Alemany has gotten in touch with Athletic Club president Jon Uriarte to let him know that an offer for Uriarte is on the cards.

Martinez has been linked to Barcelona in the past since he was at Sociedad, and on one hand, the Spaniard is a solid defender with good knowledge and experience of La Liga, but on the other, he is 31 and would be another shorter-term fix.

The former Real Sociedad defender was also spotted at the Barcelona airport a couple of months ago, when the club’s interest was rumoured to be at a high. His contract runs out in the summer of 2023, so he could be a fairly cheap acquisition.

Barcelona have been doing all they can to create a competitive side immediately, even with their older signings to try and fast-track on-field success. Martinez would be another shorter-term asset with little resale value.

However, central defenders often stay in their prime for three to four years past 30, so he could still be an important asset. Even so, player sales will be crucial if there are any more reinforcements to be made.