Barcelona’s €15 million + €5 million bid for La Liga defender rejected

As per journalist Alfredo Martinez on SPORT, Barcelona had an offer worth a total of €20 million rejected by Athletic Club for defender Inigo Martinez this summer.

The experienced La Liga centre-back has been heavily linked with a move to Camp Nou in the current transfer window. The Blaugrana seemed to be going after his signing with extreme fervour, especially when it looked like they might miss out on Jules Kounde.

While the Frenchman has arrived from Sevilla, Barça’s interest in Martinez has not seemingly subsided. Indeed, it seems like the club, at the express request of manager Xavi Hernandez and director Mateu Alemany, launched a bid for the Athletic Club star.

As per the report, Barcelona submitted an offer worth €15 million plus another €5 million in variables, taking the total package to €20 million. It would be a reasonable offer for a player in his thirties and in the final year of his contract.

However, Athletic Club swiftly rejected Barça’s offer for Martinez, deeming it to be insufficient.

As things stand, the 31-year-old looks likely to stay put at San Mames for the remainder of the season. However, with his contract running out next summer, Martinez has no intentions of signing an extension and will leave on a free transfer.

Barcelona, for their part, are planning to sign the left-footed centre-back in 2023 as a free agent, provided he enjoys a good season with the Basque outfit.

Considering that Gerard Pique is pretty much in the twilight of his career, adding a seasoned campaigner like Martinez to provide some experience and leadership within the dressing room could be a shrewd move, especially with the defender likely to arrive on a free transfer.

The Athletic Club defender would also provide the manager with a left-footed option in his centre-back roster, something that is currently lacking following the departures of Clement Lenglet and Samuel Umtiti.