OFFICIAL: Inigo Martinez swaps Barcelona for Al-Nassr

Although Inigo Martinez was part of Barcelona's plans for this season, significant interest from Saudi Arabia has led the centre-back to accept Al-Nassr's offer. He thus brings a premature end to his spell in Barcelona, where he became a trusted figure in Hansi Flick's defence, partnering Pau Cubarsi.
The news broke on Thursday: Inigo was negotiating his departure from Barcelona to accept Al-Nassr's offer. As is often the case with Saudi League clubs, it's difficult to refuse. The club has also found a way to ease its registration issues. Furthermore, the player had a clause in his contract allowing him to leave on a free transfer should he receive offers from Saudi football.
Inigo Martinez's high salary is freed up by his departure, providing Barcelona with a route to reduce their wage bill and register new signings. This is particularly relevant for Joan Garcia, whose situation remained dependent on developments with Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and the much-discussed medical report that led to disciplinary proceedings against the German by the club.
Barcelona will now rely on Pau Cubarsi, Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araujo, and Eric Garcia as their natural centre-back options. Jules Kounde or Gerard Martin, who featured at centre-back during pre-season, also provide further cover.
Inigo Martinez is the latest high-profile signing for Al-Nassr, who continue to demonstrate this transfer window their ambition to close the gap with European football. Following the arrival of Joao Felix, the Spaniard will join the squad captained by Cristiano Ronaldo.