Barcelona refuse chance to sign ‘secret’ centre-back, convinced with Inigo Martinez | OneFootball

According to a report by Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona have turned down the chance to sign an unnamed centre-back in the summer, as they are convinced Inigo Martinez will be their first signing.

They have already reached an agreement with Inigo over a free transfer in the summer, with a special clause in place that will see him leave on loan should Barcelona not be able to register him in the first-team due to La Liga issues.

Romano has not disclosed the name of the centre-back, but had previously reported that Barcelona had turned down other options to give Inigo the priority.

Barcelona had been exploring the centre-back market to sign a left-footed defender. While Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araujo have formed a solid partnership in central defence, Xavi evidently feels the need for a lefty at the back to aid with the buildup.

As such, he has resorted to using Marcos Alonso in that role often, even ahead of Eric Garcia.

Barça were linked to Eintracht Frankfurt’s Evan Ndicka in the past few months. The French centre-back becomes a free agent in the summer, and was in talks with the Catalan giants over a Bosman move.

However, it seems Xavi and the coaching staff have given the nod to Inigo over Ndicka given his experience in La Liga, and the lack of competition for him in the market.