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Al-Nassr Snatches Barcelona’s Key Defender Iñigo Martínez

Saudi club Al-Nassr has reached an agreement to sign Barcelona centre-back Iñigo Martínez, according to Italian transfer market specialist Fabrizio Romano on Thursday evening.

Several sources have confirmed that the strong defender will terminate his contract with Barcelona and join Al-Nassr on a free transfer, signing a deal until June 2026, with an option to extend for an additional season until the summer of 2027.

According to Catalan media, Barcelona had agreed with Martínez during his contract renewal that if he received an offer from a Saudi club, he would be allowed to leave for free. That agreement is now being activated following Al-Nassr’s move for the player, who featured in 46 matches last season, scoring three goals and providing six assists, playing a key role in winning the local league title despite being 34 years old.

The Spain international defender was one of the first to arrive at Barcelona’s training field yesterday, but this time not to take part in training — rather to bid farewell to his teammates following his sudden move to Al-Nassr.

Martínez used his final moments to collect his belongings from the club and say goodbye to the squad, after informing Barcelona’s management and his teammates only 24 hours earlier of his decision to leave.

The player is expected to undergo his medical in Barcelona before signing his contract with Al-Nassr, after which he will head directly to Saudi Arabia to join his new team.

According to Catalan newspaper Sport, this is not the first time Al-Nassr has shown interest in the player. The Saudi club had made an attempt last season, but Martínez insisted on staying as part of coach Hansi Flick’s project, with the German relying heavily on him as one of his main defensive options.

However, Martínez did not want to miss the opportunity for a second time, and decided to enter negotiations with Al-Nassr with Barcelona’s knowledge, which resulted in his absence from the team’s recent pre-season matches.

The same newspaper, which is close to Barcelona, pointed out that “the renewal of the Spanish defender’s contract included an official agreement allowing him to leave if he received a major offer from one of the Saudi clubs — an agreement the club has now honored.”

There is no doubt that Barcelona will benefit from Martínez’s departure, as it will save his €14 million annual salary, opening the door for new signings or the registration of other players within the club’s financial budget, as well as ensuring compliance with Financial Fair Play regulations.

Meanwhile, Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo reported on Friday that with Martínez’s departure, Barcelona has gained €30 million, which will rise to €40 million after adding revenues from their recent sponsorship deal with the Republic of Congo.

This outcome follows several notable moves, including the transfer of Pau Víctor to Portuguese side Sporting Braga for around €3 million, and the loan of Pablo Torre to Real Mallorca, which brought in around €3.5 million between the loan fee and salary savings.

Other moves included the loan of Ansu Fati to French club Monaco, which allows the club to benefit from €8 million, in addition to Clément Lenglet’s free transfer to Atlético Madrid — a deal that freed up €6.4 million from his €10.6 million salary.

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