Barcelona ponder Inigo Martinez sale due to registration issues

Barcelona might part ways with 2023 summer signing Inigo Martinez due to looming issues over player registration.

According to a report by Catalan outfit RAC1, Inigo Martinez might not be a Barcelona player in the 2024/25 season. The Blaugrana might face issues registering him in La Liga heading into the next campaign. So, they might part ways with the experienced defender in the summer transfer window.

Inigo Martinez at Barcelona: The Story So Far

Inigo Martinez joined Barcelona on a Bosman move last summer after spending most of his career at the club level in the Basque Country. The 32-year-old represented Real Sociedad and Athletic Club in the decade preceding the transfer to Barcelona. But he has endured a debut season at the Catalan club.

Fitness issues have curtailed his participation for much of the 2023/24 campaign. So, the Spanish international has managed only 973 minutes of game time across 16 appearances in all competitions thus far this term. However, Martinez has featured regularly since recovering from his injury nightmare.

Being a left-footed centre-back has helped Martinez’s case, as Xavi Hernandez prefers that on the left-hand side of his backline. But the Spaniard faces an uncertain future at FC Barcelona heading into the summer transfer window. And we might see the Blaugrana cashing in on him ahead of the 2024/25 season.

Set for a Departure?

Barcelona’s “projected salary mass” this season is around €492 million. But the reigning La Liga champions are over-spending, with the report claiming they have “a list of €204 million to spend” on wages. In addition, there is a “deviation” of €37 million from Barcelona’s budget, thus producing Financial Fair Play implications.

The aforementioned “deviation” will rise to €52 million if they do not reach the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. So, Barcelona might have trouble registering Inigo Martinez, with other players also being surplus to requirements on that account. Clement Lenglet and Eric Garcia thus face an uncertain future at the Catalan club.

Recent reports have claimed that Barcelona will likely cash in on Garcia in the summer transfer window. Clement Lenglet should also leave Barcelona, with Aston Villa reportedly considering a permanent move. As for Inigo Martinez, it will be interesting to see if he remains at the club beyond the summer transfer window.