Barcelona not planning to discuss veteran’s contract renewal anytime soon – report | OneFootball

Barcelona are carefully considering the future of their seasoned defender, Inigo Martinez, as they approach the time to decide on renewing his contract.

Recent reports from MARCA reveal that the club does not plan to rush into the contract renewal process for Martinez in the near future.

This decision comes even though Martinez is having an outstanding season and has an automatic renewal clause in his current contract, which is set to expire in June 2025.

According to the terms of his contract, Martinez can secure an additional year with Barcelona if he participates in at least 60 percent of the team’s matches.

To meet this requirement, he must play a minimum of 45 minutes in each game he is selected for, regardless of whether he is injured or not.

So far this season, Martinez has played in 15 matches, which means he has participated in about half of the required matches needed to trigger the automatic renewal.

But there are problems

One significant factor in this decision is Martinez’s substantial salary, which is over €12 million gross per season. If the automatic renewal clause is activated, this high salary will remain part of the club’s financial commitments.

Barcelona are carefully considering every aspect. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Given that Martinez is only halfway to fulfilling the participation criteria, the Sporting Directorate at Barcelona is considering whether to offer him the extra year of his contract early, without waiting for him to meet all the contractual requirements.

However, they are not making this offer immediately, despite some media reports suggesting otherwise. Instead, the club prefers to monitor Martinez’s performance to ensure that it continues to meet their high standards.

And there are more problems

Another important factor influencing this decision is the expected return of Ronald Araujo from injury. Araujo’s return, along with the fitness of Andreas Christensen in January, will increase competition for places in the central defence.

In that regard, Hansi Flick aims to select the best players based on their performance, which means Martinez will need to continue performing at a high level to maintain his position in the starting lineup.

Financial considerations also play a crucial role in the club’s decision. Martinez’s high salary poses challenges for Barcelona, especially as the club is still dealing with issues related to Financial Fair Play regulations.

To address this, the club might explore the possibility of modifying the terms of Martinez’s salary, potentially introducing variable elements to reduce the financial burden.