Opinion: Farewell Inigo Martinez – Barcelona’s captain without an armband | OneFootball

In recent years, FC Barcelona have been forced to rely heavily on free transfers to strengthen the squad amid ongoing financial struggles. To their credit, the Catalan giants have done remarkably well in this department.

Eric Garcia, Andreas Christensen, Franck Kessie, Memphis Depay, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Inigo Martinez, and Ilkay Gundogan are among the notable free agents to join the club in recent seasons. Some have already moved on, while others remain key contributors under Hansi Flick.

A few days ago, news broke that Inigo Martinez was set to join Al Nassr — a transfer bombshell that caught everyone off guard. Most expected the Spaniard to remain an integral part of Flick’s plans, making his sudden exit all the more surprising.

Inigo Martinez was one of the first names on the team sheet under Hansi Flick last season. He endeared himself to the Blaugrana faithful, showed an immense understanding of the high line, and showcased an absolute warrior mentality.

In many ways, one can argue that Inigo was a captain without an armband at Barcelona. The 34-year-old showcased leadership, organized the backline, and helped guide a young Pau Cubarsi alongside him.

Career-wise, he endured a late resurgence. Having suffered from injury issues for a few seasons, the 2024/25 season saw Inigo get back to his very best and play the best football of his career.

His passing range was exquisite, and his long diagonals to switch play were a trick that Barcelona used quite extensively throughout the course of the last campaign.

Ardent Blaugrana fans would never forget his incredible last-ditch tackle against Leganes, a game that Barcelona won 1-0. In a way, you could say that the Basque defender helped Flick’s team win the league.

The veteran did not feature much in his first season under Xavi Hernández as he worked his way back from fitness issues. However, Flick took one look at Inigo and decided he was indispensable to his plans.

At 34, Inigo now makes the move to Al Nassr, where he will earn life-changing money. It is a move he completely deserves as he sees out the final years of his career.

Meanwhile, Barcelona now need to make a decision. Although it looks unlikely that the club will move for a new central defender this summer, the existing options need to prove themselves.

Inigo made the decision he felt was best for his career. The responsibility now falls on Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araujo to step up and fill the void left by the Spaniard. It remains to be seen who will emerge as Flick’s preferred partner for Pau Cubarsi.