Barcelona could pay release clause for Real Sociedad's Iñigo Martinez
According to 'Noticias de Guipuzkoa' Barça want to sign the defender
Reports say Ernesto Valverde is behind the Catalan club's interest
Barcelona have been linked with a move for Real Sociedad and Spain defender Inigo Martinez.
According to 'Noticias de Guipuzkoa' the Catalan club would be prepared to pay Martinez’s release clause, which is 32 million euros.
The report adds that the centre-back would arrive as a direct request from new coach Ernesto Valverde.
During Barca’s tour of the United States, Valverde tried five different central defenders.
Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti, Javier Mascherano, Marlon Santos and Thomas Vermaelen were all given minutes.
Vermaelen is still expected to leave the club this summer, though, and Marlon may yet be loaned out in order to play regular football.
If that were to be the case, then Barça may be in the market for another defender.
Martinez, 26, has been linked with the club before and is also drawing interest from Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
In the meantime, Barça are evaluating how best to spend the money they will receive from Neymar’s imminent move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Borussia Dortmund’s Ousmane Dembele is a target, but there’s not universal agreement within the club about him.
