Barcelona Transfer News: €32M Inigo Martinez Deal Close Amid Latest Rumours
Barcelona are reportedly closing in on signing centre-back Inigo Martinez from Real Sociedad as a "dependable partner to Gerard Pique."
According to Spanish outlet Marca (via Fox Sports Asia), Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu and La Real counterpart Jokin Aperribay held talks over the weekend, with the fee for Martinez expected to be around €32 million (£29 million).
It will be the first signing made by Barca since they received €222 million (£200 million) from Paris Saint-Germain for the sale of Neymar.
Per Fox Sports Asia's report, Borussia Dortmund's Ousmane Dembele has been touted as one of Barca's key targets to replace Neymar.
Much focus will be on whether the Spanish giants can indeed snap up the 20-year-old French winger, but the signing of Martinez would be a fine move also.
The 26-year-old Spaniard is very experienced, especially given his relative youth.
A graduate of La Real's youth academy, he made his first-team debut in 2011 and has registered 193 La Liga appearances, all of them as a starter.
With Javier Mascherano now 33 years old and the underwhelming Jeremy Mathieu having departed for Sporting Lisbon, Pique and 23-year-old Samuel Umtiti are currently Barca's only reliable options at centre-back—and the latter is still inexperienced.
The signing of Martinez would bolster the defensive line immensely and give new manager Ernesto Valverde more options and depth.
Spanish football writer Dermot Corrigan expressed concerns about whether Martinez is the ideal fit for Barca, suggesting Aymeric Laporte of Athletic Bilbao—Valverde's former club—as a potential alternative:
But it looks as though a deal for Martinez is all but done, and he should be a reliable and confident acquisition.
