Barcelona had rejected a €5 million last-minute offer for veteran defender – report | OneFootball

The performances of Inigo Martinez have been one of the major highlights behind Barcelona’s impressive start to the season so far.

The Spaniard has shown exceptional leadership in the early days of the campaign, proving that both Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araujo will have their work cut out once they return to full fitness.

However, earlier in the summer, Barcelona had the option of offloading Martinez for a quick profit – an option the club refused to exercise.

Barcelona received a last-minute offer for Martinez

According to MARCA, Barcelona had received a €5 million offer from an Arabian club for the services of Inigo Martinez.

The offer was made in the last few days of the market, giving Barcelona an ideal solution to reduce their wage bill while making a quick profit.

Inigo Martinez has proven himself in the early days of the campaign. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

It must be noted that Barcelona had signed Inigo Martinez for a free transfer, which is why the player is among the highest-paid defenders in the team.

A €5 million exit, therefore, could have ensured a quick profit for Barcelona.

Why did Barcelona reject the option?

The report, however, adds that Barcelona did not hesitate in quickly rejecting the proposal from the unnamed Arabian outfit.

Barcelona did not want to offload Martinez amid uncertainties over the fitness of Ronald Araujo. Not to mention, the future of Eric Garcia was also uncertain.

Barça, therefore, wanted to keep hold of Martinez due to the experience and leadership he offered to the table.

The decision appears to have paid off handsomely, with Inigo Martinez emerging as one of Barcelona’s top performers so far this season.