Barcelona waiting on one key detail before signing international defender | OneFootball

Athletic Club defender Inigo Martinez has been linked ot Barcelona for the best part of a year now, and it appears the saga will come to an end in the near future. With his contract expiring, and with no sign of a new deal in Bilbao on the horizon, he will decide his destination in the coming months.

Relevo say the actual contract with the Blaugrana is done; the two parties have agreed terms and contract length. There were reports that Atletico Madrid or Aston Villa might have pushed for his signature, but perhaps those were instigated by Martinez’s agent.

Seemingly there is only one detail remaining – El Caso Negreira. The Catalan side are keen to work out first whether there are any sporting or financial sanctions to come out of the court case ahead of next season. Once they have clarity on that, Barcelona will pull the trigger on the signing.

Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has made it clear he is keen to have a left-footed central defender with his use of Marcos Alonso this season. Currently all four of his natural options available are right-sided.