Barca speaks out about the shock from Inigo Martinez.

The unexpected move of center-back Inigo Martinez to Al Nassr came as a huge shock to Barca fans. However, the Catalan club had anticipated this scenario.

Inigo Martinez will leave Barca to join Al Nassr - Photo: AFP

Barcelona's defensive leader last season, Inigo Martinez, has accepted an offer to move to the Saudi Pro League to play alongside Ronaldo . This information was confirmed by reputable journalist Fabrizio Romano on the X platform.

The departure of the 34-year-old center-back has come as a shock to Barca fans. This is because Martinez was an indispensable pillar of coach Hansi Flick's team last season. Specifically, he made 46 appearances (in the 2024-2025 season) and was one of the key players in Blaugrana's treble-winning campaign.

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Martinez's departure is believed to be based on his agreement with Barca last season. At that time, the Spanish player received an attractive offer from a Saudi Arabian team, but he rejected it because he was persuaded by coach Hansi Flick.

When signing his contract extension, the 34-year-old center-back included a clause stating that he would be free to leave if he received an offer from Saudi Arabia.

It seemed as though the central defender's move to Al Nassr would create difficulties for the German manager's plans for the new season.

Recently, Deco (Barcelona's sporting director) shared with La Vanguardia : "We have five central defenders. One has to leave because we have too many players, and that is Inigo Martinez."

According to Mundo Deportivo , Barca currently have four central defenders in their squad, including Pau Cubarsi, Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, and Eric Garcia, not to mention Kounde. Furthermore, coach Hansi Flick is experimenting with Gerard Martin in the left-sided central defender position during the pre-season.

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Inigo Martinez joined Al Nassr on a free transfer, meaning the Catalan club received no money. However, Barca will save nearly 15 million euros to register new players.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/barca-len-tieng-ve-cu-soc-tu-inigo-martinez-20250808143446556.htm