The operation that changed Barça's defense was finalized in the middle of August, discreetly. From the locker room, the question was immediate: how to rebuild a champion backline after Íñigo Martínez's departure.
The transfer was confirmed between August 9 and 10, with Íñigo Martínez heading to Al-Nassr. The Basque player signed a one-season deal with an option for another, after terminating his Barça contract.
Both entities approved the departure and the Saudi club made it official on their channels, leaving Hansi Flick without a top-tier starter to begin LaLiga.
The contract that fell short against an impossible offer
Barça had activated the extension of Íñigo's contract in March through June 2026, but it didn't go beyond that horizon. Without protection for a second additional year, the center-back faced 2025/26 as his last guaranteed season in Catalonia. Deco didn't promise him anything and kept delaying despite the strong performances he delivered.
Faced with a multimillion Saudi offer, the footballer himself admitted that, at 34 years old and with only one year signed, it was "hard to say no." There wasn't a release clause: the club allowed his departure through a gentleman's agreement, also satisfied by the immediate savings on salary. In that context, the lack of a guarantee of continuity beyond 2026 weighed in the balance and opened the door to the move.
What Barça lose without Íñigo: 46 matches and tactical authority
Beyond the locker room, the data show his specific impact last season. Íñigo played 46 official matches with Barça in 2024/25, with 28 in LaLiga, 11 in the Champions League, five in the Copa, and two in the Supercopa. He totaled 2,493 league minutes (2.493 metros) and nearly 1,000 in Europe, contributing two goals in the Champions League and remarkable reliability in building from the back.
His market value prior to the transfer was five million euros, with a contract at Al-Nassr through 2026. Although, as we've already mentioned, it could be extended to 2027. The salary is 20 million per season, much higher than the 6 million he earned annually at Barça. The combination of volume, experience, and game reading explained why Flick considered him a pillar for his high defensive line.
Flick's contingency plan: Cubarsí-Araujo and measured rotations
The German coach has made moves since the league debut. He opted for Pau Cubarsí and Ronald Araújo as the center-back pairing, with Eric García occupying the right-back position to allow Jules Koundé to rest. In fact, the Frenchman started as a substitute in two consecutive matches while the distribution of roles was being established.
In the short term, Flick will manage a rotation that includes Christensen and Koundé himself in the center, with Eric alternating positions and academy product Gerard Martín as a depth option. The model requires extreme coordination because Flick's Barça push the defense very high to trigger the offside trap and compress the field.
Risks and opportunities after the farewell
Without Íñigo, Barça lose leadership and order in managing the backline. In return, they gain minutes to consolidate Cubarsí and accelerate chemistry with Araújo, two complementary profiles if they fine-tune their synchronization in the offside trap.
The immediate challenge is to keep the defensive line high without imbalances, while the veterans regain their best physical form and the rotation stabilizes. If the midfield block doesn't break and the clean build-up holds, the team will keep their competitiveness without turning to the winter transfer market.