Barcelona are clear that a new centre-back must be signed this summer, as they seek to resolve their well-documented defensive woes. A profile similar to that of Inigo Martinez, whose left in 2025 played a part in their fall-off, is wanted, and while Alessandro Bastoni is their preferred candidate, he’s not the only one being considered by sporting director Deco.
Bastoni is desperate to join Barcelona this summer, although a deal is still yet to receive the green light from head coach Hansi Flick. In the meantime, Deco has been exploring other options, and one that has emerged is Real Sociedad’s Jon Martin, who has been a rising star in La Liga this season.
Martin fits the profile wanted by Barcelona, in that he is a left-sided central defender. The Catalans have already made steps towards a possible deal, with Sport reporting that Deco held talks with the 20-year-old’s agent earlier this week.
Deco met informally with Martin’s representative to figure out the numbers behind a possible deal for the La Real defender, who played a big role in their recent Copa del Rey success. He’s also attracted interest from a number of other top clubs, and earlier in the season, it was noted that Real Madrid were keeping tabs on his situation.
La Real are unlikely to consider selling Martin this summer, but he is available by the way of an enticing release clause. His contract can be bought out for €50m, which is roughly the same price that Barcelona hope to pay to sign Bastoni, which makes the deal a very intriguing one for the Catalans.
Barcelona may well step up plans to sign Martin if a deal for Bastoni becomes difficult, but right now, the club’s full focus is on bringing the Inter man to the Spotify Camp Nou.
