Inigo Martinez swaps Barcelona for Al-Nassr
Centre-back Inigo Martinez has left Barcelona for Al-Nassr after terminating his contract with the LaLiga champion.
The 34 year-old joined Barca from Athletic Club in 2023 and made 71 appearances for the Blaugrana in all competitions, 46 of which came last season.
He helped Hansi Flick's side win LaLiga, the Supercopa de Espana and the Copa del Rey, but the contract extension he signed in March stipulated that he could leave for free if an offer arrived from the Middle East.
Martinez has now penned a two-year deal with Al-Nassr, who are in talks to sell fellow centre-back Aymeric Laporte back to his former club Athletic.
Martinez took to social media to bid farewell to the Catalan giants on Sunday, saying in a video: "Thank you, Barca. Today I say goodbye to this club that has marked my life.
"Defending this badge has been an honour and a responsibility that I have taken on every day with pride and commitment. From the first day to the last, wearing this shirt has been a privilege."
Martinez's exit is a major blow for Barca, which now has Pau Cubarsi, Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen and Eric Garcia as its centre-back options.
Barca is still not in compliance with LaLiga's salary cap limits and is unable to register new signings Joan Garcia and Marcus Rashford.
Reports suggest Barca will save €14m from its wage bill after Martinez's exit, but that figure is still not enough to allow it to register either new arrival.
