Barcelona 'weighing up move for Inigo Martinez'

The Catalan giants have already boosted their centre-back options this summer by bringing in Andreas Christensen on a free transfer from Chelsea.

However, Samuel Umtiti and Oscar Mingueza are both expected to leave the club before the end of the transfer window, while Gerard Pique is entering the latter stages of his career.

As a result, Barcelona are said to be keen to sign another central defender this summer, with Sevilla's Jules Kounde believed to be their leading target.

Kounde is now thought to be on the verge of joining Chelsea, though, forcing Xavi's side to consider alternatives to the Frenchman, and according to journalist Ekrem Konur, Martinez is an option for the club.

The 31-year-old started his career with Real Sociedad, coming through the youth system at the club before making 238 appearances for their first team between 2011 and 2018.

Martinez moved to Athletic in January 2018, and he has now made 159 appearances for the club, contributing six goals and seven assists in the process.

Last season, the defender made 33 appearances for his Basque side, scoring three times, while he has also been capped on 19 occasions by the Spanish national side.

Martinez's experience in La Liga is believed to make him an attractive signing for Barcelona, with the Spaniard featuring on 341 occasions in Spain's top flight during his career.

The defender only has 12 months left to run on his current deal, meanwhile, and there have been claims that he could be available for as little as €22m (£18.7m).

Barcelona midfielder Pedri has talked up Martinez's possible arrival at Camp Nou, calling his international teammate "a magnificent player".

"Inigo is a magnificent player, I've played with him in the national team, I hope it can happen," the midfielder told Marca when asked about his side's reported interest.

According to Onda Vasca, Athletic will not stand in Martinez's way this summer if he expresses a desire to depart.

There is believed to be a €80m (£68m) release clause in his current deal, but the Lions are not in a position to demand that fee due to the length of time left on his contract.

Barcelona have already been busy this summer despite their financial problems, bringing in Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, Franck Kessie and Christensen.